The Convention
by Emily Blankenship
Summary: During a five day Magic Convention in London, Lily and James are forced to live in a hotel room together. James infatuation for his firey redhead and Lily's secret soft spot for him make this trip truly...INTERESTING.
1. Frustrations

**THE CONVENTION **

By Emily Blankenship

* * *

**CHAPTER 1: FRUSTRATIONS**

Lily was thoroughly pissed. She was currently in her dorm, packing her bags for a trip to London where a convention for magically-gifted students was being held over the course of the next five days. She had been recommended to attend by the Headmaster himself and there was no question as to whether or not she would go - she _had_ to go. But that wasn't the reason she was mad. Oh no, don't get her wrong, she felt honored to attend. Plus, she was getting to miss a week of classes. The real issue at hand was, of course, James Potter.

Lily had no idea how much bad luck she had landed herself during her lifetime, but this sure as hell topped it all off. She cursed inwardly as she thought of the unusual circumstances, the _unrealistic_ quality of her predicament. James was going on this trip…with her. Now of course, Professor Dumbledore did not recommend James for the trip. No, that would have made too much sense. The real issue here was that James was not supposed to being going _at all_. It was actually Remus Lupin who had originally been granted the opportunity. Lily was extremely happy when she heard he was going; they had been good friends from the moment they had stepped onto the Hogwarts Express.

But as was said before, Lily did not have the best of luck. Only a few days ago, James had strutted up to her, informing her that _he_ was attending the convention in place of his best friend. She immediately asked him what he had done to Remus, but James only stated that he had fallen ill. Sirius, James's prick of a friend, had backed him up. Lily knew there was something going on; Remus would never back out of anything as important as this. James, however, denied any responsibility in the case of Remus's mystery "illness" and continued to say that the only reason he was going was because "his mum was making him."

So here she was, frustrated as hell and throwing her clothes unceremoniously into her school trunk, trying but failing to ignore the fact that _he_ was going to be everywhere she was for the next five days. _Hopefully he'll find himself a girl toy or two and forget about me, _she wished. The biggest problem she had with this whole mess was the fact that she had, indeed, developed a soft spot for James over the years. It wasn't very big, mind you...but it was there, and she was afraid it might get even bigger if she allowed it to. She knew the opportunity would present itself the moment she was alone with him…the moment he got away from all of his pervy little buddies and his true personality started shining through. She knew he was capable of being a gentleman. She knew he could be _very _attractive if he wanted to be; she'd seen it time and time again. She knew she could fall in love with him—she'd floated on that edge for a very long time. Of course, _no one_ knew this. She had made sure to keep it a well-hidden secret, and so far, she had been successful.

She finished packing and shut her trunk before scanning the dormitory, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything. When she couldn't think of anything else she could have possibly left unpacked, she walked lazily towards the window and looked out upon the lake and the sunlit grass as students walked to and from class, while others sat under a shade tree to study. _Say goodbye to this peace and quiet, _she thought as she turned around, swished her wand, and walked out of the dorm room, her trunk levitating perfectly behind her.


	2. A Little Mixup

**CHAPTER 2: A LITTLE MIX-UP**

Normally the thought of a convention would make me sick, but I was far from feeling nauseous as I sat in the common room with Sirius after a particularly hefty and satisfying lunch. Some would call me crazy, obsessed even. _I_ would like to consider myself... thoughtful. I was, after all, putting myself through pure hell for the one girl I could never get: Lily Pot-... _Evans_. So what if it was five days of pure torture? So what if I had to spend a week in London without my friends? The thought of being with Lily put all those worries to rest. Of course, Sirius had rolled his eyes at my plan. He told me I would never be able to convince Remus to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I proved him wrong.

Remus turned out to be very understanding. He's a great person, that Moony. Unlike Sirius, he never laughed at how pussy-whipped I had become. It was in his nature to help others and hell, I wasn't complaining. Now, I know what you're thinking - I took advantage of him; that wasn't the case at all. You see, this trip inconveniently occurred right after the full moon, and poor Remus was still recovering from a particularly nasty night. It all turned out for the best.

So, I was sitting there in the common room, staring blissfully at the wizard chess set in front of me, not really concentrating on the game at all. I was planning my attack to get Lily extremely drunk and then confess my love for her. I'd say it was a pretty fool-proof plan. I determined that I would have a fairly good chance of expressing my feelings to her without spells and curses flying at my face. Well… not unless she was an angry drunk, and knowing my luck, she probably was. I knew she would be more apt to give me a chance if I tried hard not to be a douche-bag; you know, not act like the "arrogant prat" she so pleasantly refers to me as. Through the years I've gotten used to her rejection, her taunting, and her insults. It doesn't make me mad anymore. If anything, it just turns me on. But hey, this isn't about my sexual fantasies. It's about her: the ever-wonderful, extremely beautiful, fiery little redhead named Lily.

I was awakened from my reverie by Padfoot, who decided it a nice gesture to kick me in the shins. I was about to return the favor and give him a good kick myself, but he quickly (and fearfully, may I add) nodded to the staircase behind me and mouthed one beautiful word- "Lily". I hesitated for a moment, wondering if he was trying to create a distraction so I wouldn't break his leg, but I was too gullible and wouldn't turn up the chance to drool over her. I turned around as the graceful figure of one Lillian Evans descended the girl's dormitory staircase. She squinted at me, a look of frustrated annoyance stamped on her face, and I wondered how I had already managed to piss her off.

"Hello, my Lilykins." As the last syllable left my lips, a sudden chill swept my body and the air turned thick and quiet around me. I felt my jaw drop as I realized what I'd just said. Padfoot snickered from across the table.

"Lilykins?" he choked through his teeth, trying to hide his amusement.

I watched in embarrassment as her faced flushed red. _Shit_.

"Shut the hell up, Potter. I'm not in the mood. Are you ready?" Feeling incredibly ashamed, I watched her stomp down the remainder of the steps before answering.

"Yeah, I guess," I sighed. "I'll see ya later, Padfoot." I got up and patted my friend on the back before levitating my trunk and walking timidly over to Lily.

"Yeah, see ya. Oh, and try not to have too much fun while you're away," he said, still giggling as he waggled his eyebrows. I tried to give him an angry look, but it ended up more as a smirk.

"Boys," I heard her mutter angrily behind me. Then she turned on her heel and was off.

By the time I realized what was going on, Lily had already made her way through the portrait hole and I heard her heavy stomps echoing down the hallway. I shot one more quick glance at Padfoot and then ran to catch up. How she got that far so quickly I would never know, but I finally reached her on the staircases.

"Hey, wait up Lily," I panted.

She rounded on me. "Listen, Potter. I don't know how you did it, but I know that you weren't meant to go on this trip with me—even if Remus _was _sick, Dumbledore wouldn't send _you _of all people. I don't know how much you paid him, and I don't _want_ to know what kind of evil magic you used for mind control, but I want to make this _very_ clear to you right now: I don't want you _anywhere_ near me. I want you to leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you, and I don't want to take care of your ass all week, got it?"

Okay, first of all, there was only _minor_ persuasion done on my part…secondly, no illegal potions were used for brainwashing. She underestimated my charismatic personality.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I put both of my hands in front of me, palms faced out, a sign of peacemaking. "What's with all the hostility Lils? You don't really mean that now, do you? I'll be on my best behavior, I _swear_." I put as much emphasis on that last word as possible, while making the best puppy dog eyes I could muster. It worked. She didn't exactly smile, but her face softened a bit.

"I don't believe you, Potter. I can't possibly picture you being mature or responsible, even for a second," She paused as if in thought, and suddenly her voice sounded much sharper. "Oh, and one more thing—stop hitting on me all the time. It's getting rather annoying and it's not helping your chances."

I smiled. "But it's just so hard not to flirt with you. Philandering is part of my personality, and your good looks don't help matters."

I got an extremely violent stare and felt that I was pressing my luck. God, she was truly beautiful.

"Oh, come on. I'll leave you alone. Just give me a chance, Lils. That's all I ask."

I received no reply. She turned away from me and kept walking.

.::-::.

We made our way onto the Hogwarts grounds, past Hagrid's hut, and to the front gates without any more conversation. There, Professor Dumbledore was waiting to give us instructions. As we approached him, he smiled at us.

"Ah, Miss Evans and Mr. Potter. About time you came. I was beginning to believe James had gotten himself another detention." There was a glint in his eye and he paused to glance at me over his half-moon spectacles. I didn't know whether to smile or be intimidated.

"If you would kindly follow me, I will escort you to the train." He quickly turned on his heel and strode off through the gates towards Hogsmeade station. There was a moment when both Lily and I looked at each other, making assessments of each others' next moves, and then she was off, her trunk still following closely behind her. I sighed. I loved following Lily. There, I could have free reign to soak in her beauty without her noticing. Plus, she had a nice ass.

After Professor Dumbledore had finished giving us information on our hotel, the convention, and a lecture about how we were representing our school ("You'd be wise to behave yourself this once, Mr. Potter"), we said our goodbyes and boarded our ticket to freedom. I picked out a compartment and to my surprise, Lily joined me. I helped her put her trunk on the luggage rack and received a mumbled "thank you" which I sincerely appreciated, then seated ourselves across from each other. As the train began moving, she pulled out a book and began reading leaving me to fiddle with my thumbs and otherwise be bored out of my mind.

.::-::.

I don't know how long I sat there before I fell asleep, but I was soon being awakened by a particularly violent read-head's angry shrieks and kicks on my legs. My eyes snapped open to find her flushed face merely _feet_ away from my own.

"Potter, we're here. Wake up, you dirty great lump."

"Okay, okay!" I said groggily as I ran my fingers through my hair. Girls like that. "I'm up."

I felt her hand take a hold of my wrist and with great effort, she managed to pull me out of the seat. Unfortunately for me, I was still slightly unconscious and my legs couldn't hold my weight. I fell to the floor. It hurt…a little.

"Oh, sorry James. You alright?" she asked as she leaned down and grabbed my arm again.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said weakly. "You called me James."

She looked a bit confused for a second, then said quite assuredly, "I did some thinking on the way here. You asked me to give you a chance, so I am." She smiled slightly and then helped me pull myself up, for real this time. I stumbled for a minute, but soon the room stopped spinning and I was able to get my trunk down from the luggage rack.

I had a second chance to be civil with her. I couldn't screw it up.

After I had helped Lily with her trunk, we made our way out into the dark streets of London. Thankfully, our hotel wasn't too far away and we managed to get there before Big Ben's twelfth chime sounded, which reminded me of how tired I actually was. We walked through the front doors of the hotel and were instantly overwhelmed by the scenery around us. It was an extremely nice hotel - everything shined. I wanted to curl up and sleep on the couches in the entryway.

We approached the front desks and waited our turn to check in. There were a lot of witches and wizards there, all going _incognito_ but still easily recognizable by us. After waiting in line for what seemed to be a good ten minutes, I got bored and left Lily to check out the place. I had obviously gotten lost in thought because the next thing I knew, she was standing behind me, tapping me on the shoulder. I turned around to see her cheeks flushed with anger and a look of shock on her pretty face.

"What's wrong, Lily?"

"There's been a mix-up. They don't have any more rooms, Potter. We have to stay..." she paused for dramatic effect and took a large gulp of air before continuing.

"TOGETHER."

_Uh-oh. _


	3. A Room Divided

**CHAPTER 3: A ROOM DIVIDED**

I was standing in line at the front desk of our hotel, waiting with as much patience as I could muster for my room key. It seemed to take an eternity, but it was finally my turn. Of course, James was nowhere to be found. He had obviously gotten distracted by something and wandered off, not that I would expect any more from him. When I reached the front desk, the man behind the counter asked for my name.

"Um, hi. Lily Evans and James Potter. We made reservations earlier in the month." I stood there bouncing on my heels, my patience slipping as the man looked up our names in the register.

"Lily Evans, James Potter...Evans, Potter..." he muttered as he flipped through the reservation cards. "Ah! Here we are. Ms. Evans and Mr. Potter. It's good to see you are staying with us. Please sign here," he slid a guestbook across the counter towards me and I signed on the first blank line then pushed it back to him. "If you need anything, please just call the front desk. Your checkout time is 12:00 PM on Friday. Here are your keys, and you and Mr. Potter enjoy your stay."

He slipped two room keys across the counter towards me, and I grabbed them. As I left the desk, I looked down at the pair of keys I held in my hand. What I saw made my breath catch in my throat. Both had the same number on them- # 317. My eyes widened. _No, no, no. This can't be right. There must have been some mistake._ I turned back around and walked to the desk. The man glanced back up me and asked, "Yes, Ms. Evans? Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Um, actually there is, sir. I think there's been some mistake. You see, these two keys have the same room number on them. I believe Mr. Potter and I were to have two separate rooms." My face was flushed. I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks. _It's okay, Lily. This is just one _big_ mistake._

"I'm sorry, Ms. Evans. It's stated clearly in your reservations you requested a suite with two occupants," he said, fiddling with our reservation card.

I shook my head. This couldn't be happening.

"W-w-well, is there any way I could get another room? It doesn't have to be fancy or anything. Just to get us by. You see, I wasn't really expecting to be staying with Mr. Potter."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Evans. The hotel is booked for the next two months. We don't have any vacant rooms. We could check other hotels in the area, see if any have vacancies..."

"Oh, no that won't be necessary," I said hesitantly. I paused for a moment to sort out all the jumbled thoughts in my head. "We'll figure it out. Thank you, though."

"Sorry for the mix-up Ms. Evans. Our offer still stands if you wish. Just dial down to the front desk if you change your mind. Have a good night."

_Oh yeah, I'll have a _great_ night_. There was no way in hell I was going to have a good night while James Potter slept in the bed next to-…oh my god! What if we had to share a bed, too? This wasn't right in any way. Damn Potter to hell; it wasn't really his fault...but I could be mad if I wanted to. If I'd been with Remus I wouldn't have cared. Sharing a room with him would've been like sharing with family. But of course, something had to go wrong. I knew something like this would happen.

I scanned the lobby and soon picked out that head of jet-black hair floating next to a giant vase of flowers. His back was facing me, which I was grateful for because I was about to burst into tears. I slowly walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and immediately saw the look on my face.

"What's wrong, Lily?"

_Everything. _

"There's been a mix-up. They don't have any more rooms, Potter. We have to stay..." I gulped.

_Oh my God, I'm going to cry._

"TOGETHER."

His reaction was the complete opposite of what I had expected. He actually frowned.

"What...why? How'd they fuck this up?"

"They said the reservations called for one room with two occupants. We don't have two rooms, James. We have to...share."He thought about it to himself for a minute.

"But they have to have another room free? It doesn't matter if we have to pay extra. I can have my father pay the bill-"

"No, James. I've already been over all this with the man at the front desk. They're booked for the next two months…at least! We're stuck." I sounded miserable.

"Well, it can't be all that bad. It just seems like a big deal right now because we're both tired. I'm sure I can find somewhere to sleep - the hallway perhaps. I won't bother you. Don't worry." He awkwardly patted me on the shoulder and smiled at me.

"Ugh, let's just get to the room. My feet are killing me." I grabbed his arm and pulled him to the elevator. Being in a muggle hotel, we had to push our trunks on a trolley, but James was nice enough to take care of it. Once we were inside the lift, I pressed the "Level 3" button and waited patiently as we started to rise upward. I looked over at James, who was trying to figure out where the sound of music was coming from.

"First time in a muggle lift?" I asked him. He looked at me and grinned.

"Yeah. This is wicked! Where's that noise coming from? The music?"

"Oh, it's coming from that speaker box up there near the roof," I said, as I pointed to the inconspicuous square of black plastic mounted on the wall.

"Whoa. Do you ride in these things often?"

"Oh, yeah. _Everyday_." I joked.

The bell sounded as we arrived on the third level and the doors glided open to reveal an ornately-decorated hallway.

"Our room is 317. That'll be this way," I said as I read the sign that pointed to the right. We walked along the corridor until we found the door labeled, "317".

"Well, this is it," I said as I tucked the key into the hole. I turned the doorknob and walked inside.

"Whoa," I heard James say behind me. I had to agree with him. This place was beautiful. Plush furniture littered the floor in the living area. A roaring fire was burning brightly in the grate, and freshly-cut flowers were strategically placed in vases all around the room. A dim light was cast by an ornate glass chandelier, illuminating a mini bar, which James ran towards immediately. I, on the other hand, had a preoccupation with the bedroom.

I gasped as I flew the door open. Yes! _Two_ beds. And not just any beds. They were the big ones, with white and fluffy down bedspreads, plus pillows to die for. Oh, and did I mention the canopies? We had _canopies! _I think I was justified to say I was in heaven. Relief flooded me and I couldn't stand it anymore. I slipped my shoes off, backed up, and made a run for the bed. I launched myself up and the air and landed with a small plop on the soft covers. _Aah._ That was fun. All of the sudden, I heard a yell and James jumped onto the bed beside me. I couldn't help but laugh. He on the other hand, was giggling like a little kid.

"Wow, I haven't done that in ages!" He said, gasping for air as he rolled over to face me. "These are comfy beds."

"Yeah, they...a-a-are." I said as I yawned. "I'm awfully tired, James. We need to figure this out."

"Yeah, okay. Um, wait. I have an idea." He stood up from the bed, swished his wand, and a rope appeared about 6 feet from the floor, stretched from wall to wall between the beds.

"Now, all we need is a sheet," he said as he rummaged through the dresser drawers, finding an extra set. He walked back over to the rope and tossed the sheet across it, so that a makeshift wall was formed.

"Ah, there we are. Now you have half of the room to yourself, and I have the other half. Perfect."

I had to admit, James was pretty clever when he wanted to be. I smiled. This wouldn't be so bad.

James head popped out around the sheets.

"Anything you need, Lily?"

"Oh, no thanks, James. I could do with a bit of rest, though."

"Oh, right. Well, I guess I'll say good night then." He said, and with that, he disappeared behind the sheet.

"James?" I called. He immediately stuck his head through the gap again.

"You rang?" Cute.

"Thanks. For everything."

"No problem, Lils. Good night." I had a sudden urge to hug him. No, Lily. _N-O_.

"Good night, James."

I fell asleep there on the bed, not even bothering to put on my pajamas or get under the covers, smiling at the fact that only feet away, James was doing the same.

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_Updated:7/12/11_


	4. Good Morning

**To all my faithful readers:**

I am dreadfully sorry it has taken me so long to get this chapter out. I set aside time to be with my close friend of four years before she moved to Korea a few weeks ago. It's upset me quite a bit and I haven't felt like writing till now. I am currently at my music teacher's house, where I am overseeing the welfare of her home while she is away. I am extremely bored at the moment, and kind of creeped out to be staying in someone else's house overnight, so I decided to distract myself by writing the next installment. For the next two weeks I will be at camp, so I don't expect to get this out for awhile.

I think I have multiple personalities . . . well, writing-wise anyway. I must confess that my writing style is a lot better in this story than in Hate to Love Him. Hmm . . . interesting.

I have a confession to make: I have no idea where this story is going. I'm totally winging it.

I think that's it. Now, **GET READING! **

**

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CHAPTER 4: GOOD MORNING 

That night, I slept so well I could have sworn I had died. I only had one dream, and it revolved entirely around Lily. I won't fill you in on the details; you should be able to figure it all out. So, after about nine hours of uninterrupted sleep, I woke up with my face glued to the pillow. How I had managed to breathe during the night, I had no idea, because I wasn't doing a very good job of it at the moment. Feeling a sudden and urgent need for air, I promptly flipped myself over onto my back, took a deep breath, and rubbed my eyes. The sun was shining brightly through the window and it took awhile to adjust to the light. I lay there for a moment, trying to wake up and recall exactly where I was. I thought about the previous night and suddenly realized that today was the first day of the convention. Cursing inwardly, I tossed the sheets away from me, only to find that I was still fully clothed. How could I have slept like that? I stood up slowly, making sure not to fall over as I had done last night, and made my way over to a mirror that was hanging on the wall across from my bed. What I saw made me want to scream in terror. I looked like shit. My hair was standing up in as many directions as possible (not in the good way) and I looked rather peaky. What a shame. Good thing Lily wasn't awake to see me. I turned around and looked over at her bed. There she was, sleeping soundly, her hair fanning out in a fiery red halo around her head. She too was still fully clothed, which was slightly regrettable, but she looked so peaceful there, I didn't want to wake her.

Trying desperately hard to be as quiet as possible, I slowly tiptoed my way out of the bedroom and into the sitting area of our suite. Our trunks were still standing by the front door and a small stack of parchment lay on the floor underneath the mail slot. Why would _we_ have mail? I walked slowly to the door and picked up two letters, reading the address labels on the envelopes. Both were the same:

_Miss Lily Evans and Mister James Potter_

_Room 317 _

_Harrington Hotel_

_London_

Frankly, I was a bit confused. Normally, I would have found something like this quite exciting, but it was too early and I am definitely not a morning person. Shrugging, I walked over to the nearest sofa and opened the first letter.

_Dear Miss Evans and Mr. Potter,_

_Last night, I received word that there had been a mistake with the registration of your rooms at the hotel. I am writing to send my apologies and those of the Headmaster. I, having very limited knowledge of the muggle world, did not properly understand the guidelines of hotel rooms. I automatically assumed they'd find you both a suite. Again, I am so very sorry for any problems I have caused you. If there is anything I can do, please feel free to owl me. _

_Regards,_

_Professor McGonagall _

_Ha ha_. I smiled to myself as I refolded the letter and placed it back into its envelope. So Professor McGonagall was the cause of all our problems? I was going to make sure I kept this little note for future blackmailing and guilt trips if she ever felt the need to give me a detention again. I laughed to myself before my attention fell onto the second bit of parchment. This letter looked slightly more official than the previous one, and I was a tad unnerved as I opened it. Carefully, I pulled out the contents, only to find a small bit of blue parchment covered in swirling script.

The International Wizarding Convention

_To: Miss Lily Evans_

_and Mister James Potter_

_of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Dear Attendees, _

_Because of recent events involving the work of He Who Must Not Be Named, we regret to announce the convention you are scheduled to attend will be postponed until Tuesday, April 22 for security purposes. Please feel free to explore the city and get to know the other visitors to the convention, all of whom are staying on your level. I am sorry for any inconvenience. We look forward to seeing you in one day's time. _

_Best Wishes, _

_Helen Gawshik_

_Program Organizer, International Wizarding Convention _

So this convention wouldn't even begin until tomorrow? I couldn't possibly explain how happy I was at the moment, although my attitude toward the situation was probably not entirely proper, seeing as how it involved one of the darkest wizards of our time. I wondered what could have possibly happened that would have caused the convention to be postponed. Nothing extremely bad, I would assume. We would have gotten word from someone if anything was a threat to our safety. No, this was probably some empty threat made by one of his wannabe followers against some worker at this blasted convention…nothing _bad_. At any rate, I wasn't complaining. I could go back to bed now. I looked up at the clock to see what time it actually was-- 9:45 AM. We should have been at the convention an hour ago. I was surprised Lily hadn't come bolting out of the room screaming at the top of her lungs that we were late.

Hold the phone, I spoke too soon.

At that precise moment, as if reading my mind, she came screeching out of the bedroom, her sock-covered feet slipping wildly over the marble floor.

"Shit, shit, shit!" She screamed as she looked frantically around the room. Suddenly, she locked eyes with me, and I immediately stopped laughing...something I couldn't help but do when I saw her almost fall flat on her ass.

"Potter! Do you know what time it is? We're late! Bloody hell, it's the first day and already I am leaving a bad impression! Oh my God, what am I going to do?" She continued to run around the room, trying to gather up her clothes. "I don't even have time for a shower! I look horrible…and my hair!" She screeched as she flew to a mirror positioned over the mini bar. Yeah, so her hair looked a little crazy–well, more like a bird had made a nest in it– but _I_ was willing to deal with it.

"Lily!" I said loud enough for her to hear above her insane muttering. She flew up from her trunk, which she was currently standing over, and glared at me.

"What?" She growled. Obviously she wasn't much of a morning person, either.

"Come over here and sit down," I said, half laughing, motioning for her to sit on the couch next to me. That probably wasn't a good idea. She looked really mad.

"Potter, this is not a time for games! We are _late_! Don't you understand me?"

"I _do_ understand you. It's just, well . . . they postponed the convention. We aren't going today." I said, slightly frustrated that she wasn't even_ trying _to listen to me. She just stood there for a moment with a blank expression on her face, which transformed quickly into a scowl.

"James Potter, if you think you can fool me into skipping an entire day of this convention to do _God knows what_ with you, you've got another thing coming," she said as she straightened up and put both hands on her hips.

"I'm not trying to do anything, Lily. See for yourself. I have the letter right here. I guess we received it this morning." I said, picking up the letter and waving it in the air. Hesitantly, she walked over to where I sat, stood right in front of me, and yanked the letter out of my hand.

"This better not be a trick, or I swear I will make sure you won't have any children." I'm pretty sure she saw my sudden nervousness and the huge gulp of air I took, because she smiled as she walked over to the end of the sofa I was sitting on and plopped down on the very edge. I watched her face as she scanned the page. Her forehead began to relax and the pink tint on her cheeks was fading. After she finished reading the letter, she looked back up at me, her face a mess of confusion.

"What does this mean, James?" She asked. I sensed the worry in her voice.

"I guess it means He did something. I don't think it would be anything big, or we would have received an owl from Dumbledore or _someone_. It's not anything to worry about, Lily." I tried to be comforting. I don't know if it worked. This was always a touchy subject with Lily--probably because she was muggle-born. I wouldn't blame her. We sat there in silence for a while before I mumbled something. It came out before I could stop myself.

"I think your hair looks nice."

She turned and looked at me and then . . . she laughed.

"Are you kidding me, James? Whoa. I think you need to go back to bed. You're delirious. I'm a mess," she said as she shook her head and looked down at her lap.

"I was being serious, Lily." She was quiet for a moment.

"Can you try being just a _little _more awkward?" She asked sarcastically. When I said nothing, she stood up off the couch. "Well, I think I'll go take a shower now. Maybe you'll be a bit more _you_ when I come back."

I put on a smile and laughed, although it was still mildly depressing that she didn't take me seriously. _We'll just have to work on that,_ I thought. She walked around the couch behind me, making sure to scruff my hair as she walked by. What came over her, I had no idea.

When she got to the doorway of the bathroom, she turned around. "Oh, and James--I think your hair looks nice, too." She pulled a small compact mirror from one of her bags and threw it at me. When I saw myself in the reflective glass, I couldn't help but laugh. I looked like I had been electrocuted. She let out a small giggle before closing the door.

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I was left to my knitting while little Miss Evans pampered herself in the shower. It was rather boring, I must confess. I spent most of my time eyeing a big black box with a glass front that was sitting inside the armoire. It had a lot of buttons on it and two pointy wires sticking up out of the top. I had heard about this kind of thing from Lily . . . something called a_ televisor_ I think. But whatever it was didn't work and that just made me even more confused then I already was.

I turned to the mini bar for an answer to my problems. Booze always made me feel better. The alcohol was definitely different from the wizarding kind—no firewhiskey, no butterbeer, no _nothing_. I had heard that Muggle alcohol was stronger than the stuff I was used to and I sure wanted to find out. But, I contained myself. That was for _tonight_. Tonight, when I would get Lily drunk and tell her that I loved her. Yes, it would be perfect.

A noise from behind my left shoulder wakened me from my thoughts and I turned to see Lily standing there with a towel wrapped around her head. She was wearing a bathrobe (a surprisingly skimpy one, mind you) and her face was still slightly wet. I couldn't help it. I just stared at her. She scoffed when she saw me gazing idiotically and strode over.

"Potter, honestly. Stop it. Get in the shower. You look awful." She said as she pushed me towards the bathroom door. Well, that made me feel _a lot_ better.

"Fine, _Evans_. But I do suggest you get out of that robe and into some clothes, before I get any ideas." I said sarcastically, even though I halfway meant it.

"Excuse me, Potter?" She said angrily. She was blushing. I loved to make her blush.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing. I'll go now, before you have a hernia." I moved quickly before she could come up with a clever retort, grabbed my things, and headed straight to the bathroom. Just as I reached for the doorknob, she called out to me.

"Remember our agreement, James?" _Damn. I pushed it too far_. I hesitated for a moment before nodding my head slightly, not bothering to face her, before walking through the door and closing it behind me.

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I was probably in the shower for at least thirty minutes. What can I say? A man like me needs his relaxation time. I stood there with the water running over my back, reflecting on the past few days and planning what today had in store. Suddenly, there was a pounding on the door and Lily's muffled voice came floating in.

"James! You've been in there for forty-five minutes. Either you've died or you're just ignoring me. Get out! I need to fix my hair!" I rolled my eyes--women and their bathroom time.

"Fine, fine! I'll be right out!" I yelled loud enough for her to hear me. The water was getting cold anyway. I quickly turned the knob and the water stopped running. It was so quiet now I could actually hear her mumbling to herself.

I pulled back the shower curtain and stepped out onto the cold floor, almost immediately slipping and falling on my bare ass.

"Shit!" I said as I hit the floor. Luckily I had managed to catch myself so I wouldn't receive a full blow to my bum. It didn't really hurt _that _bad. I slowly got up, making sure _not _to slip anymore, and made my way to the towels. I wrapped one around my waist, walked cautiously towards the door, and opened it.

"James, I swear you're just like a girl..." Her voice trailed off as she looked at me. She was standing only a few feet away from the door holding the towel that was wrapped around her hair earlier. She'd changed into a tank top and some shorts and her hair was curling quickly. I quirked an eyebrow as her jaw dropped and then smiled as she suddenly realized she was staring. Yeah, that's right Lily. I have _great _abs.

"Like what you see?" I said playfully as I posed for her. She immediately folded her arms across her chest and squinted her eyes, trying to hide the fact that once again, her cheeks were taking on a pink hue.

"Please, Potter. You just surprised me, that's all. You got out of there rather quickly." She was avoiding eye contact with me.

"Yes, I did. Just so Princess Lily can fix her hair. It's all yours. Oh, but be careful on the floor. It's a little slippery." I said as I tenderly rubbed my bum.

"Yeah, I'll be careful." She grabbed her stuff and went into the bathroom, not bothering to close the door. I walked over and sat down on the couch, turning so that I could see over the back and watch Lily in the bathroom.

"You know," I said. "We _are_ going to be stuck here for an entire day. You want to do something? Go somewhere? _Explore the city_?" I said, quoting the letter we received earlier.

"Hmm. Go somewhere. Do something. Explore the city…with you? Let me think about that one." She said sarcastically as she looked at me in the mirror, stopping dead in the process of pulling her hair back.

"Oh, come on Lily! You said you'd give me another chance. Believe me, it'll be fun." I said dramatically. It _would_ be fun. I would make sure of it.

"And what exactly would we do on this outing?" She said innocently. Suddenly, my mind was filled with naughty thoughts of me and Lily _doing things_ in a dark alleyway, and I couldn't help but smile.

"I don't know. We could get some lunch...walk around..._shop._" I made sure to put particular emphasis on that last word. It worked. She smiled.

"Shopping sounds really fun for me… but you're a guy. You don't want to go _shopping_." She said, trying to not sound disappointed.

"Okay…I'll make it sound manlier, then. We could go 'purchase items for the purpose of enjoyment and public decency'. That better?" She giggled. "There's tons of crazy things to look at. And I've never really been around London before." I'd hardly ever visited London. Most of my time was spent in the wizarding town I lived in. "Plus, this would be a great opportunity for me to brush up on my Muggle Studies skills." I added as an afterthought.

"Since when have you been interested in Muggle Studies?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Since I met you." She ignored that comment and kept talking. What? I wasn't going lie to her….

"Well, we could go to lunch for starters. I have a good place in mind. Mum used to take me there when I was younger." She smiled, obviously reminiscing on the olden days.

"Sounds great to me."

"Yes, James, it does. But first, I _suggest you get out of that towel and into some clothes, before I get any ideas." _She winked as she looked at me through the mirror and then rolled her eyes. So now she's quoting me. What's this girl getting at? _Flirting…fine, then it's not breaking our agreement if I play along_.

"Oh, you don't want to see me in just a towel anymore, Miss Evans?" I said huskily. She laughed and turned to finish her hair. I decided I should probably get up and get dressed, so she wouldn't have to wait on me.

◦◊○◊◦

Fifteen minutes of deciding which shirt to wear, what pants to put on, and trying but failing to fix my untamable hair left me standing at the front door with Lily.

"Ready?" She asked. She'd changed while I was in the bedroom. She was wearing a lovely green blouse that brought out the color of her eyes even more than usual (it also had quite a low neckline), and a pair of jeans that looked excellent on her, if I do say so myself.

"Ready." I opened the door for her, and we stepped out into the hallway and onto the lift.

This was going to be one hell of a day...

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Hey, guys!**

Wow. I know I said I would get this chapter out soon after I finished chapter 3, but as you can see from the above note, I have been quite busy. This chapter took me a grand total of three days to write. I'm not too proud of it. I don't feel like I got into character for this one. Hopefully, you all will enjoy it, though. Author's worst critics are often themselves. So, that's pretty much all I can say. Again, I am sorry to keep you waiting! Thanks for all the reviews. I would really appreciate more! I WILL have the next chapter written, edited, and posted within the next week

--Emily


	5. Of Leather and Gems

**A word from your author:**

Hmm . . . oh the bliss of summer. I'm finding that I have too much free time on my hands now that my camps are over. Frankly, I'm bored, and what do I do when I get bored? I write. Well, even if I'm not bored, I write, but that's not the point. So, I am writing this chapter out of pure boredom, and I'm telling you this because I feel the need to get my feelings out in the open. Now that I have, I can go on to a more pressing matter, which is:

**I LOVE YOU GUYS!**

This chapter was written especially for you. Yes, you…sitting in front of your computer screen. Enjoy it!

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CHAPTER 5: OF LEATHER AND GEMS 

I should have set an alarm. I should have known that I would sleep in late. But I don't need to dwell on the "should have"s or "could have"s. It all worked out for the best. The convention had been postponed. I had a free day. The only problem with that was the fact that I had to spend it with James. These were the times when I wish I hadn't given him a second chance; that I should have told him to "bugger off" and leave me alone. That I should have made him sleep out in the hallway. That I should have taken up the hotel's offer to look for another place to stay. But I shouldn't dwell on the "should have"s. I was stuck. Damn my soft side.

We were standing in the lift again. James asked to push the "level one" button, so I let him. After all, he wanted to "brush up on his Muggle Studies". He stood next to me, casually glancing my way every couple of seconds, but I was determined to look anywhere other than at his face. I was worried that I was actually going to have a good time that day. I was worried I would let myself go, open up to him, maybe even get the chance to _like him_. I sure as hell didn't want that. He noticed I was thinking about all of this. I don't know how, but he noticed.

As the doors slid closed in the elevator, he said, "Loosen up, Lily. We have a free day. Smile." The silence was broken. Without looking at him, a huge grin split across my face as Mozart's Concerto rang blissfully through the speaker box overhead. I don't know why I did it. I just got giddy, and all the pent up energy I was harboring was dying to get out. I turned to look at him, and I started laughing. Again, I don't know why. It just happened. God, he was making me crazy.

He stared at me a moment, trying to read me, and then started laughing as well. We stood there as the lift descended to level two, giggling like maniacs for no particular reason at all. Suddenly, there was a ding and the doors slid open to reveal an elderly woman wrapped in a shawl. James and I immediately shut up; she was giving us a look that clearly stated, "What the hell is going on with you two?"

I moved over closer to James, allowing room for the woman that had just boarded and waited silently for the elevator to finish the remainder of its journey. We came to a slow stop and waited patiently for the elderly woman to exit.

"After you, Miss Evans," he motioned, bowing gracefully like a butler would do for the Queen.

"Why thank you, Mr. Potter," I said as I walked out into the lobby. Suddenly, the real world came flooding back, one where James and I were not the only two people in the universe. Men in suits and briefcases could be seen walking along the sidewalks outside the hotel windows. People sat on the sofas inside the lobby, reading a newspaper or a telegram. A couple of children were playing a game of hide-and-seek over by one of the large plants. Our hotel seemed to have taken on a new life since last night, and the marble floors seemed even brighter as the late morning sun shown down through the windows.

We walked across the lobby and made our way through the front doors, onto the busy streets of London.

"Well," James said as we stood there on the sidewalk. "Where should we go first?"

"I'm rather hungry, James. Let's go to that café before I starve to death." My stomach grumbled as I thought of warm bread and coffee.

"Fine by me. I'm pretty empty myself," he said as he patted his stomach. "Lead the way."

So we made our way through the city, pausing every now and then to look into a small shop or marketplace, taking as much time as we wanted.

When we finally reached the café, it was nearly noon. It was just as how I remembered it to be- a beautiful little diner with marvelous decor and even more excellent food. I ordered a steaming cup of soup and for James, a sandwich. We chose a table outside and sat down.

"You know, Lily . . . I don't think I've ever had a sandwich as good as this," he said in between bites. He was definitely cute. I wasn't going to lie to myself. He was wearing a navy blue sweater with a white collared shirt underneath, sleeves pushed up to the elbows, and a very nice fitting pair of dark jeans. He looked incredibly sexy. Yes, I said it. James Potter was ravishingly handsome.

"Mmm...Yeah. My mum always ordered it when we came here. This was our place, back when I was a normal child." I laughed. Since I became a witch, I hardly ever had time to do the things I used to with my mother.

"How is your mum? Come to think of it, I haven't seen her since last year." _Since when has James Potter been interested in my personal life?_

"Oh she's good. Her accounting firm is going very well right now. She says she's got lots of clients." I didn't expect him to know what accounting was, and he understood that. He just nodded his head. Talking about her made me miss my mother and father even more, so I decided to change the subject.

"What do you think your pals are doing right now?" I asked, giggling.

"Hmm...good question," he said thoughtfully. "Well, Remus is probably studying. You know, it's lunch time there. Sirius, well you know what occupies most of _his_ time."

I rolled my eyes. "No doubt off shagging Matilda Yates in a broom closet."

"No," he said humorously. "He did her_ last_ week."

"Oh darn." I said, snapping my fingers. "I guess you can't win every time. What about Peter?"

"Oh, probably hanging around Remus since I'm not there."

"I've always wondered about him. He seems so quiet compared to the rest of you."

"That's because he is," laughed James. "He just hangs around because we get along. He's cool, I guess."

We finished the rest of our meal in silence. My soup had gotten cold while talking to James, and I was already too full to even think about scarfing it down.

"Where to next?" He asked me as he picked up his napkin from his lap and put it on the table.

"I dunno. We could just walk around for a bit. There are some clothing shops and trinket stores along this street."

"Whatever, Lils. I'm up for anything now."

"Okay. Well, then let's go." I said as I stood up from the table. He followed suit, walking behind me as we made our way to the shops.

James pointed out a clothing store he wanted to visit, so I followed him in. It seemed to be sort of a costume shop, with rows upon rows of clothing anything but mundane. We explored for a little while, laughing at the various out-of-this-world outfits, when he stumbled upon a little leather number for me. Conveniently enough, it's matching male counterpart hung right next to it, and it didn't surprise me when he wanted us to try them on.

"No way, James! You are not getting me into that." I said, half laughing. Deep down, I wanted to, but on the surface--not so much.

"Aw, come on, Lils. It'll be fun." He put on those sad puppy dog eyes again, and I fell to his charm. Grudgingly, I quickly grabbed the outfit from his hand, turned around, and headed for the dressing room. He followed me and went into the one next to mine.

I stood there for a moment after I had closed the curtain, looking at myself in the mirror. Was this the same Lily that had started out on this trip to London just yesterday? I sure didn't feel like the same person. Somehow, I felt more alive. I had a lust for adventure I had never encountered before, and somehow I had a feeling it had to do with James. Slowly, I let down my hair, unbuttoned my top and cast it aside and did the same with my pants, before slipping into the costume James had so willingly picked out for me.

There I was, standing in an outfit that barely classified as clothing. A black leather top hung to my every curve, the red lace neckline swooping down to reveal cleavage I didn't know I had. The material ended just above my belly button, leaving a fair amount of my freakishly white skin uncovered. A black leather mini skirt rested on my hips, the length barely long enough to cover my ass. I felt so exposed, and definitely like a slut.

"How's it coming in there, Lils?" I heard his voice inquire.

"I can't come out, James. This is too embarrassing." I was already blushing, my face seeming to blend in with the color of my hair. All I wanted to do was to get out of the thing. _No way was he going to see me in this._

"Aw, come on. You get to see me. I look like an idiot." He said, laughing . . . seeming to taunt me with a secret I had not yet learned.

I thought about it for a moment, and then decided.

"Okay," I said hesitantly. "But we are going to do this my way. We're going to come out of our rooms at the same time, okay? And we are going to have our eyes closed. Then, I'll count us off."

"Fine by me." He said joyfully.

I gave myself one last look in the mirror, making sure nothing was hanging out anywhere, and then turned towards the curtain that separated me from the outside world.

I took a deep breath. "I can't believe I'm doing this," I whispered to myself as I pulled back the curtain. To the left of me, I heard James do the same.

"Do you have your eyes closed?" I asked.

"Glued."

_Okay, Lily. This is it._ I took one giant step out into the store, my eyes squinted shut, hoping that somehow my actions would keep anyone else from seeing me.

"Alright. On the count of three, we'll open our eyes, okay?"

"Yep."

_Sheesh. I can't believe this is happening._

"One..." I turned toward the sound of his breathing.

"Two..." I crossed my fingers.

"Three!" My eyes flew open and immediately found James', only a few feet from my own. We looked straight into each other's eyes for a moment, daring one another to take the first glance. He couldn't wait any longer.

He looked.

I looked.

He whispered, "Damn."

I laughed.

I had never seen James look so hilarious in my entire life! Well, apart from that one time when I jinxed his robes to resemble a woman's dress, but that's another story. He was wearing a pair of the tightest black leather pants I had ever seen. Just seeing them made me blush. _Damn yourself, James, _I thought as I looked at him. I tore my eyes away from his pants and scanned the top half of his body. His shirt was a mass of silver sequins, sparkling brilliantly every time he took a breath. On his head, he wore a red bandana, tied around his hair.

"Oh, God James! You're blinding me!" I said through my laughter, squinting at the radiating sequins. I suddenly forgot that I was wearing a skanky outfit and that James was a horny teenage boy. He didn't hear me. He was staring, and his mouth was hanging open. When I noticed his eyes roving over my body, I started to feel _slightly_ self-conscious.

"James?" I said, finally recovering from my laughing spell. His eyes snapped up to meet mine and the look of bewilderment plastered on his face made me want to giggle even more.

"Lily..." He was speechless. He reached up and pulled the bandana off his head, running his fingers through his hair as he continued to look at me.

"My god, where have you been hiding that thing?" He asked.

"What thing? James, what in the hell is wrong with you?" He was beginning to scare me.

"You're gorgeous." He said, before looking up at me again. Looking back now, I don't remember ever hearing him tell me that.

"I half-expected you to laugh at me, James. Why aren't you?" It still hadn't clicked with me that he thought I was the sexiest woman alive at the moment.

"I can't laugh at that." He said, smiling. It was an eccentric smile, one that told me he liked what he saw…a lot. "I mean, look at you!" Suddenly, it was if I was the only person that mattered to him in the world. I was too caught up in the moment to disagree with him. In that moment, I didn't mind showing my stomach, my cleavage, or my legs. I didn't mind that the outfit I was currently wearing was a size too small for me. James' reaction made me feel confident, which was surprising to me, because no matter how good of a show I put on, I was never confident when I was around him. Even more surprising was the fact I couldn't deny James' opinion mattered to me.

"Turn around." He said. So I did. I spun in a perfect circle, letting my long hair fly about me and all my cares disappear.

"You like?" I asked huskily.

Suddenly, his eyes flickered with an intensity I had only ever seen in my dizziest daydreams. But as quickly as the fire started, it was put out.

"Let's get out of here. These pants are very uncomfortable." He said, jokingly. He turned around quickly, walked straight through the curtain, and disappeared, leaving me standing almost naked in the store.

I got dressed quickly, trying not to keep James waiting. When I walked out, he was standing there, leaning against one of the clothing racks with his hands buried in his pockets, looking straight at me. I felt his eyes bore into me, and I knew at that moment that something had changed in him. And something had changed in me, too. We both understood it, but kept it hidden. It was too scary to contemplate.

"Ready?" I asked him.

"Ready." We left the store, ending up on the street. We walked along the sidewalk, just as we had done only a few short hours ago. But something had changed. We were different.

A few minutes of complete silence passed before I realized we were coming up on a jewelry store I had come to love over the years. My mother and I used to walk past it on our outings and pick out necklaces we liked from the glass showcases in the window. When we reached it, I stopped to look in through the glass as I had done for many years. There it was-- still as beautiful as ever. James had come to a halt as well, looking over my shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of my obsession.

"What is it, Lils?" He asked.

"That necklace. Do you see it?" It was one of the most breathtaking necklaces I had ever seen. A strand of pure silver held a large, square-cut emerald, encrusted with diamonds. "I've been looking at it for the past year."

"It's beautiful. It would look lovely on you." He said gently. I laughed.

"It's too expensive for anyone to buy. I just enjoy dreaming about owning it some day." It was beginning to get cloudy. I knew a beautiful day like this would have to end. London was not a place for sun.

"Have you tried it on?" He inquired, hardly above a whisper. I could feel his breath on my neck, which made my body tense.

"No, and I don't wish to. It would only make me want it more," I said before turning around to face him. At that moment, I didn't know if I was talking about the necklace or about James. "Come on, let's go. We still have a way yet before we reach the hotel and it looks as though it could start pouring at any minute."

He simply nodded and we continued for another thirty minutes before the rain hit. Fortunately, we were only a block away from the hotel. Unfortunately, I didn't have an umbrella.

The first few drops descended upon us like silk sheets against bare skin. Then it came, barreling down on us like a tidal wave. I was soaked within seconds, and so was James. It was beautiful, to tell you the truth. I loved the rain, and being with James to experience it was magical. His hair hung down on his face, sticking to his skin and raindrops dripped off his eyelashes. He turned to look at me and held out his hand. I understood. Grabbing it, I held on tight and we ran as if there would be no tomorrow. I laughed, opening my mouth to catch the drops, and he smiled.

We made it to the hotel in record time, soaked to the bone. We dripped all the way to the elevator and as we stood there, shivering and cold, still trying to catch our breaths from our run, we laughed just as we had before, only seven short hours ago.

◦◊○◊◦

When we reached our level and I opened the door to our room, I felt the rush of warm air greet me. The fireplace was sparkling, looking more inviting than I had ever seen one look. I pulled off my water-sodden shoes, and turned to James.

"I want some alcohol."

I was no longer who I used to be. I had left that girl behind in an over packed costume store, at the heart of London.

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Hey! **

Well, another chapter has been successfully written! I surprised myself with the beginning of this chapter...it seemed very "twisted". More formal and slightly...fluffy? I don't normally write that way. It's strange what can happen when you let loose. Oh well. Hope you LOVED it! Thanks to all reviewed for chapter 4! I look forward to reading more for this chapter in the near future!

--Emily


	6. Oh, What a Night

**Hello, lovelies. **

Okay, so I think I have an apology to make. I said I was going to get this chapter out two weeks ago, but guess what? I didn't. I am really sorry. What with my extracurricular activities and school starting just around the corner, I've had to focus on other things besides writing. I miss being able to type out a chapter whenever I feel like it. Summer is over now. My life has officially been thrown into warp speed. I won't blame all of this on how busy I am, though. I was also having a sort of writer's block– I couldn't for the life of me think up a good chapter line. This post is actually my third re-write of chapter six. That just says how uninspired I was. Anyway, I'm sure you just want to read the chapter and not my sob stories, so I'll let you.

Continue, darlings.

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CHAPTER 6: OH, WHAT A NIGHT 

Sometimes in life, things come at you unexpectedly. Just when you think you've got it all down, when you think you've figured it all out, you're completely caught off guard and WHAM! Something hits you right in the gut. I had only experienced this feeling a handful of times in my life--one time in particular with a girl named Carrie, who slapped me and accused me of cheating on her (I definitely wasn't expecting that one), and twice today, with Lily.

I had underestimated this girl. The moment I met her six years ago, I had labeled her as a caution-freak. Never once had I watched her let loose or do anything remotely dangerous. I had never seen her drink, party, or even sneak out for a midnight snack in the kitchens. She was a perfect little angel; modest beyond all accounts. Never seen in a skirt that was any shorter than the knees, her school blouses were always tastefully buttoned to her neck, every stitch and seam perfectly aligned.

Until today, she seemed untouchable. But I had underestimated her. Today, she was free. Today, she was a woman without fears and inhibitions. Today, she was the _real _Lily. Up until now, I had never really seen the part of Lily that I had fallen in love with. It was the part of her that she hid from the world, tucked deep within the gigantic shield of books and never-ending streams of parchment. It was the dangerous, sexy, witty side of her that she even hid from herself. I knew it was there somewhere, I always had. But it still caught me off guard when I saw her in the costume shop, revealing the amazing body I never knew existed. It still knocked the wind out of me when I heard her say those words.

"I want some alcohol."

I tried to play it cool. I didn't know if she expected me to be surprised, or if she was trying to play some kind of cruel joke on me.

"Oh really?" I asked as we stood in the entry way, both dripping wet from the downpour outside. "And why would Miss Evans want something to drink?" I smiled cockily. We'll see how this turns out.

"For one thing, I'm thirsty. Second, we've got it here already. Thirdly, I want to do something . . . out of the ordinary."

"But don't you think it would be a huge black mark on your record if you were to do anything . . . unpredictable, Miss Evans?" I loved teasing her. At the moment, I really didn't care if she got mad at me. I was enjoying myself, and I think deep down, she was too.

"James. I'm serious. Now, are you going to fix some or not?" A smile played on her lips, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly. Good, she was enjoying this playful banter. Continue on, dear James.

"Maybe." I said, shrugging as I continued to stare at her.

"Fine then. I'll fix them myself. But don't think I'll be pouring a glass for you anytime soon." She made a move in the direction of the mini bar, but I was too quick for her. Swiftly, I took a step right and blocked her path.

"What the hell are you doing, James?" I was enjoying this. Testing Lily's nerves was a hobby of mine.

"James, move." She said, putting her hands on her hips. Any other time, I would have read this gesture as "get away as fast as you can" but she was still smiling, and I knew there was no chance in hell she was getting mad at me tonight. No, this was a different Lily. This was the Lily I adored.

"You're really starting to get annoying," she giggled.

"You're really starting to look cute," I shot back. It was true. Even when she was soaked to the bone and her hair was a complete mess, she looked beautiful. I was, as many times before, very tempted to kiss her at that moment.

She stood there for a second, fighting back a blush, before a mischievous grin suddenly plastered her face. That on all accounts scared me way more than her "go to hell" look ever did.

"Oh, James. Stupid, stupid, James. You've asked for it," she warned before drawing back her hand, balling it up into a fist, and punching me right in the stomach. I immediately doubled over in pain; that girl threw one hell of a nasty punch.

"Damn, Lils," I managed to wheeze out as I clutched my stomach. Talk about getting the wind knocked out of you. Though my eyes were squinted and my head was hanging down, I saw her walk past me.

She slapped me on my back and said, "Sorry, James. You'll learn not to get between me and my drink…oh, and to remember our bargain." Giggling, she continued on.

Even though I was hurting, she made me smile. I soon regained my previous stance and turned to see her standing by the mini bar. While she looked at the various bottles of alcohol, I looked at her. Everything about her was special, unique. She could make my head spin, my heart pound, and every ounce of me want her with just one look. Today in the costume shop, I almost lost control and I was afraid she noticed it. The way she'd smiled, the way she had spoken to me– it was pure innocence. It seemed that today, I watched Lily discover herself for the first time. Instead of the careful, level-minded, James-hater she normally was, she had become spirited, out of her element and completely on fire. Part of me was overwhelmed by her transformation. How could this girl who was about as spontaneous as a rock suddenly break loose into a carefree woman, all in less than one day?

I stood there in the entry way, watching her as she pulled two glasses from the shelf. Two glasses . . . so she fell back on her word. I smiled.

"Hopefully you aren't going to drink both of those by yourself, now are you?" I asked as she poured the copper colored liquid into the small glasses on the counter.

"Potter, you're such a dumbass," she joked. Yeah, so I was a dumbass sometimes. Point well taken. "I'm fixing you one. You made me feel guilty all hunched over in pain like that. I didn't hit you that hard, did I?" Turning around, she picked up the glasses, one in each hand, and gave one to me.

"Frankly, it did hurt Evans, and I am man enough to admit it," I said as she took a sip from her glass. Immediately, she laughed, choking slightly on her drink.

"Yes, Potter. You're quite the man." She rolled her eyes and continued drinking. I took a sip from my glass and felt the familiar warm sensation of alcohol on my throat. Actually, it was more like I had swallowed a fireball.

"Damn, Lily. What is this stuff?" I sputtered as I held the glass full of unknown substance to the light, spinning the glass in my hand.

"Whiskey. What, is it too strong for you?"

"Ha! No...it's just good, that's all. Besides, you've probably never drunk before in your entire life. How come you're holding out so well?" I added. In truth, that last sip was pretty strong-nothing like the stuff I was used to. I had no idea how Lily was still alive.

"What makes you think I've never had alcohol before, Potter?" She raised her eyebrows and gave me a questionable glance.

"I dunno. I've never seen you at parties...you don't seem like you're really into that scene."

"Correction, Mr. Potter. I'm not into getting so drunk I can't see properly and then going off and getting knocked up by some random guy I've never even met. I do drink. I'm just not a partygoer."

"Oh, and when do you drink?" I was truly interested in this information. I was slowly finding out I really didn't know that much about Lily Evans.

"Well, you know . . . every now and then. But as I said, I don't drink to get drunk." She took another sip from her glass and set it down on the counter top before walking over to the window in the sitting room. "James," she said softly. "Do you mind if we order dinner from the hotel tonight? It's still raining quite a bit and frankly, I don't want to get back out in it." I realized quickly that she was trying to change the subject and I didn't want to press the matter.

"Sure." I watched her as she lazily ran her finger over the window sill, staring out at the dark sky through the rain-streaked glass. I wanted to know what was going on in her mind, what she was thinking about at that moment. She was absolutely gorgeous and I wished more than anything to hold her, kiss her, have her as my own. Every second I was near her, I wanted her more. Every minute I stared at her in those soaking wet clothes that clung to her body…. She was making me crazy, and she didn't even know it.

"Well," she sighed as she turned around to face me. I immediately stopped staring. "I might as well get changed. I'm freezing."

"Hm. That sounds like a good idea. I'll come with you." She cocked an eyebrow at me before I realized exactly what I said. _Stupid James. Stupid_. "To get my clothes, of course. I'll change in the bathroom." She was blushing again. How adorable.

"Yes, well now that _that's_ settled..."She walked past me towards the bedroom, and I followed. Hunching over my luggage, I pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms and then made my way to the bathroom.

◦◊○◊◦

Five minutes later, I returned to the couch in front of the fire, holding a fresh glass of whiskey and the room service brochure from the hotel. Casually flipping through it, I didn't notice Lily walk in. I looked up when I heard the door open to acknowledge her presence, but did a double-take when I realized what she was wearing. She had on a pair of short, pink and yellow striped pj bottoms and a hot pink tank top, covered by the same bathrobe she had on earlier today. I guess it was the normal garb a girl would wear to bed, but it was still dead sexy. I had never realized how long her legs were...

"So, James. Find anything delicious in that pamphlet of yours?" She asked, waking me up from another one of my staring spells. You _are delicious, Lily._

I watched her sit down on the couch next to me before I answered.

"Yeah, the spaghetti looks wonderful. I think that's what I'm getting." I was starting to get awfully hungry. It had, after all, been a good eight hours since our last meal.

"Mmm. Spaghetti. That sounds great. I think I'll have the same." She smiled at me before picking up the phone and dialing room service.

Fifteen minutes later, we were slurping our fine pasta and discussing world peace and theories to stop world hunger. Well, not really. Our talks were more on the lines of who was better at a certain subject in school, summer holiday plans, and what was going on in our best friends' lives.

"I'm traveling to Spain this summer with my mother and father. Some thing with the ministry." I said, shrugging.

"At least you get to go somewhere this summer. I'm stuck with Petunia for two and a half months."

"Petunia, you sister?" I asked before taking a bite of my spaghetti. I guess her parents had a thing for flower names . . . although Lily was a much more beautiful name than Petunia could ever be.

"Yes, my ungrateful prat of a sister. I swear, sometimes . . . I want to hex her, just to spite her."

"Why do you dislike her so much?"

"Oh, God! Don't get me started. Ever since my found out I was a witch, she's found ways to make my life a living hell. She calls me a freak constantly, just because I'm different than her."

"Sounds like someone's a little jealous."

"Yeah, either that or she just enjoys being a bitch."

Suddenly, we both heard a tapping noise on the window and I looked over to see a large barn owl holding a pretty hefty package at the window sill.

"An owl?" I inquired before getting up off the sofa and opening the window. The owl flew immediately in, dropping the package into my hands. It seemed to be a bottle of some kind, wrapped in soggy brown paper with a note attached. Carefully, I detached the letter from the bottle, its soaked envelope tearing easily in my hand. The ink was smudged but I could still decipher the handwriting:

_Prongs,_

_Just in case things are going better with Lily than you'd planned, here's a little gift from me._

–_Padfoot, a.k.a. "The Lady's Man"_

_Oh, Padfoot. Whatever would I do without you?_ I smirked as I unwrapped the bottle of wine. He knew me so well.

"What's that you have there?" Lily asked curiously. She cocked her head to the side and stood up off of the couch, walking over to me.

"Sirius sent us a bottle of wine." I couldn't keep from smiling.

"Oh really? Well, isn't that ever so kind of him," she stated sarcastically. "And why would he send us a bottle of wine? What's in that note?" Shit. She asked about the note. I hastily tried to pocket it, but she saw me.

"Ah,ah, ah!" She scolded. " What does it say?" She tried to grab it out of my hands. I was too quick for her, though. Quidditch had done me good. I held the note above my head. God, I loved being tall.

"This note is for me to read and for you to forget." I said, smirking. Quickly, I dodged her, ran over to the fireplace, and tossed the letter into the flames.

"Aww, James! That's not fair." She moaned.

"Not everything in life is fair, love. Besides, in a couple of months I might tell you what it said. For right now, let's enjoy this lovely bottle of wine."

She eyed me suspiciously for a second, and then nodded her head.

"Okay."

◦◊○◊◦

Another hour and a half later, we had consumed all but a little of the wine and emptied every bottle in the mini bar. Well, I really hadn't had that much to drink. Lily could really pack it down. Doesn't drink to get drunk, my ass.

So, as any totally smashed person would, Lily was acting a little off her rocker. The great part was that she wasn't an angry drunk as I had feared. No, she was just . . . insane. It was rather amusing, to tell you the truth. I had never seen Lily this way before. She was talking up a storm, chatting away about topics that made entirely no sense whatsoever and giggling about every five seconds. She was currently dancing to some muggle music on a radio she had found in the armoire. It was a rather catchy tune, and although she had invited me to join her, I was still sitting on the couch, admiring the way she looked in the firelight. Her pale skin was absolutely glowing and her hair, her hair was amazing. She had discarded her robe a few minutes earlier, complaining that it was getting "awfully hot". Yes, she definitely was hot. Gorgeous. Sexy. Utterly shaggable.

"God, Lily. You're one beautiful woman, you know that?" I asked. The alcohol was only having the slightest effect on me, but some things seemed a little funnier than usual. I felt like putting it all on the line at the moment.

"I mean, you're like, the most beautiful girl I've ever met in my entire life. Swear to God." I put my hand over my heart in a gesture of mock sincerity.

She just stared at me, smiling and swaying her hips to the music.

"You should come over and sit on the couch with me, love. You look like you're about to fall over. There's a wonderful spot for you here," I said as I patted the sofa, "right next to James." I waggled my eyebrows. Okay, so maybe I was a little more gone than I'd thought.

"Ha! James Potter, are you trying to seduce me?" She slurred, giggling. She had stopped dancing now and was standing with her hands on her hips, rocking slightly.

"No-" I said quickly. She was jumping to conclusions. I was just trying to tell her how I felt about her.

"Because it's not going to work. I'm _rock as a hard_ and drunk as hell, so you'd better not mess with me." She was still laughing merrily, obviously pleased with herself. I couldn't contain my laughter at her mix up of words. She seemed to be willing to put up a fight, but she surprised me as, slowly and carefully, she walked over to the couch and sat down next to me. "Although I have to admit, you are quite handsome, James."

"Why thank you, Miss Evans. I would like to think so myself." I said, winking in her general direction. Yes, the alcohol was definitely present. She laughed and then, much to my surprise, fell over so that her head was in my lap. Finally, this was starting to get interesting. Still smiling, she reached up and touched my nose with her finger.

"Oh, James. You're so funny! And so cute!" She said, pinching my cheek. It kinda hurt. Unconsciously, my fingers started mussing with her hair, running in between her wavy locks which were still slightly damp. I was smiling widely at her, finding this whole situation rather funny and definitely pleasing.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your hair, James-y?" Suddenly, her fingers were running through my hair as well. This was amazing. "So soft. You know, I really like the messy look."

"Oh, yeah. My conditioner works wonders," I said sarcastically. She laughed once more, and I took it as an opportunity to stare at her again. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was fanning around her head onto my lap. Her eyes were still sparkling, and if it were possible, she was looking more beautiful than ever. We sat there for a minute, looking at each other, before Lily said something that knocked the wind right out of me.

"I love you, Jamie-wamie." She giggled. I knew it was the effect of the alcohol, but it surprised me just the same. And then, with her fingers still entangled in my hair, she pulled me towards her. I knew what was going to happen a split second before it actually did. Everything was moving so fast, there wasn't any stopping it, but I didn't really want to either. After all, I had been waiting two years for this moment.

I had never had a kiss so spectacular in my entire life. Kissing Lily was like dying and going to heaven. Her lips were warm and soft, stained with the lingering flavor of wine. At just the touch of her mouth, sparks exploded in my eyes. I felt dizzy, like I was drowning in the intensity. I was trying to control myself, but I couldn't. I needed her. Eagerly, I grazed her bottom lip with my tongue as I ran my hand up and down her arm and through her luscious locks. She obliged and soon, we were engaged in an all-out snogging session. Feeling the need to explore, I broke away from her, sucking slightly on her lower lip, making her moan. Slowly, I showered her jaw line with kisses, and made my way down to her neck, feeling her pulse race under her skin. I kissed her collarbone and went back up to her mouth, capturing her lips once. We broke apart a minute later, both breathing heavily. I looked at her as I felt a desirable force fill the room. Her eyes were dark with lust and I knew in that moment that something was definitely different about her. It wasn't the alcohol. It was her.

Softly, she whispered to me–-so softly that I had to strain to hear her. "Make love to me."

"Wh-what?" I said breathlessly.

"Make love to me, James." Her warm breath washed over my face, and the smell of the alcohol was almost comforting.

Here she was, the most beautiful girl in the entire world, lying in my lap, begging me to shag her. This was all I had ever wanted. My dreams were becoming a reality and I had her exactly where I wanted her. So why was it so hard to say yes?

"Lily, you need your rest. We have the convention to get to tomorrow." I couldn't do this. I couldn't take advantage of her while she was drunk. I hadn't realized up until now how much I actually cared about her. Dammit, James.

"But James, I need you more." She raised her head and moved so that she was sitting on my lap before wrapping her arms around my neck. "Please," she said seductively as she kissed me again. Even though I was loving it, I pushed her gently away.

"Lily, you're drunk. You don't know what you're doing. Now please, let's go to bed. We'll talk about this in the morning."

"Mmm, bed. You know, that's beginning to sound wonderful. Come to bed with me, Jamie-wamie." She got up off of my lap, stumbling slightly, and grabbed my hand, trying to pull me off the couch.

"No, Lils. That's not what I meant." I was beginning to get frustrated, both at the fact that she wasn't listening to me and that I wasn't doing what she wanted to do.

"Oh no, James. I know _exactly _what you mean." She giggled and winked at me before she finally managed to get me on my feet. I really didn't know how I was going to get myself out of this one. I mean, Lily was drunk has hell and I had no idea what she would do if I turned down her invitation for sex. She'd probably murder me in my sleep, or starting crying and ask me why she wasn't desirable to me anymore. I cringed at the thought. I'd hate to see Lily cry. All I could do was cross my fingers and hope for the best.

Grabbing her hand, I made my way towards the bedroom, dragging her behind me. In the two seconds it took me to reach the bedroom door, I had come up with a sort of plan. It was the best thing I could come up with at the moment, and the little voice inside my head chanted, "Go for it." _Here it goes. _Turning around, I wrapped my arms around her waist, leaned in, and kissed her hard on the lips. My lust for her was kicking in again, but I maintained focus on my goal. I didn't want to take advantage of her. If we ever did make love, I wanted to make sure she was fully aware.

Slowly, I started moving backwards into the bedroom, guiding her along with me. She moaned into my mouth as I laced my fingers through her hair, pulling her even closer so that I could feel her chest rise and fall with every breath. Before I realized it, the back of my legs had hit the foot of the bed. Good. Perfect. Turning her around so that Lily's back was now facing the mattress, I gently laid her down on the bed, all the while kissing every part of her I could reach.. Positioning my self on top of her, I kissed her for a while longer before I slowly ended our embrace. She looked up at me with a questionable glance, her eyes still full of passion.

"I-" my breath hitched in my throat as I looked down upon her beautiful face. "Wait here. I'll be back in a moment." I rolled off of her and stood up from the bed. Thank God I didn't drink that much, or we'd be shagging away right now. Well, not that I would mind it, but you know what I'm saying...

Actually, I wasn't planning on returning to her any time soon. I figured if I left her alone for awhile, the combination of alcohol and exhaustion would kick in and she'd be out cold in about ten minutes. After taking a cold shower (which I needed badly) and waiting patiently for what seemed to be a reasonable amount of time, I cautiously walked back into our sleeping quarters and was pleasantly surprised to see Lily sleeping soundly. Man, I was good. Now all I hoped for was that Lily have no recollection of tonight's events, or else I might be dead by tomorrow afternoon.

Quietly, I set an alarm so we wouldn't have a repeat of this morning then slipped in under the covers of my bed as my sleepiness caught up with me. Somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness, I thought I felt my bed move slightly, but I was too exhausted to open my eyes. I drifted to sleep with thoughts of Lily and the taste of her lips on mine.

**

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So...**

Gosh, I hate myself for doing this. I keep forgetting that Lily and James are only 16 years old in this fic., and yet they acting way more mature than any of my age friends do (I'm 16 and 1/2). I keep imagining them as these confident, 18 year-old's who can think for themselves and are old enough to experience the more "adult" themes such as love and sex without it seeming . . . wrong. So, I want to make a deal with you. Let's pretend they ARE 18 year-old's . . . just so I feel better about the whole thing. I would love to make them 18, but they still have to be in Hogwarts for the story to appear realistic. Just, work with me here. I know you'll understand. Ha ha.

So, once again I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I want to say thank you to all of those who reviewed chapter 5. I love getting feedback and I am so happy you all are loving the story! I'm starting school on Monday, August 21 so the next chapter will probably not be up for a while. I know, I know . . . you can't wait that long. I'm so sorry. I'll try really hard to get chapter 7 (wow, chapter **7**) written quickly, but I really need to focus on my schoolwork this year. Cross your fingers, and keep reviewing! Till next time my darlings, MUCH LOVE!

–Emily


	7. Confuzzled

**NOTICE: I updated this chapter on November 7, 2006! If you haven't read it since then, please do so. **

**Hello, all you wonderful people!**

Wow, it's been forever. I've missed this so much. I've thought about writing every single day, but I never have time. School is sucking, but when does it not? College chemistry is kicking my butt from here to Timbuktu, and Statistics isn't any better. This chapter is the result of weekends of work, and I'd like to consider it my baby.

I am so sorry that it's taken so long to update. I know I'm "an evil person" as one reviewer so blatantly put it, and I couldn't agree more. I am evil. Hahaha. But now, all of you have got the update you've all been waiting ever so patiently for and I really hope you enjoy it. The chapter title might change. I wasn't feeling very creative when I came up with it, but it's a word I use all the time. Well, it's not really a word . . . I don't think, but you get the idea. Okay, I'm done. Now, read!

This chapter is dedicated to you all, once again, because you've had to put up with my crazy schedule as well. Thanks for sticking with me.

**Also, if you don't have a account and would like to receive notices on updates, please either leave a review giving me your email address, or email me at Thanks!

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**CHAPTER 7: CONFUZZLED**

In the realm of my unconsciousness, I had somehow managed to find myself in the dark and desolate hallway outside the room of our hotel. It had taken on a whole new life compared to the warm, inviting walk it had been earlier. It was cold, and only the flickering light of a lone candle at the end of the corridor guided me as I felt myself begin to move. I wondered vaguely why I seemed to be floating on air instead of walking like a normal person, but those thoughts left my mind as I suddenly stopped in front of a door. The brass script reflected the dull flame of the candle ever so slightly, the numbers "317" illuminating against the mahogany wooden panel--the door to my room. Once again, my body began to move involuntarily. I suddenly felt the cool metal or the doorknob on my palm, and the muscles tighten as I twisted it. The door opened slowly, as if I was in some kind of mystery movie. You know, the ones where the detective opens the door and walks right into the trap of the creepy bad guy? Yeah, it was like that, only I wasn't scared at all. In fact, I felt completely safe as I glided inside the dark hotel room. I was searching for something, longing for it. The problem was, I had no idea what it was.

As I stepped over the threshold, an eerie silence laced itself over my ears. I couldn't see a thing; the suite was completely dark. Not even the glow of the streetlights shown in through the window. Yet, I felt completely comfortable, completely safe. I stood in what seemed to be the sitting room for a moment, praying that my eyes would adjust to the darkness and I would be able to see where I was going. Unfortunately, it seemed that there was no way in hell I would be able to see anything. So, I gave up on trying to see, and opened my mouth to speak. But even as I parted my lips, I knew there was no hope. I had seemed to have gone mute. No matter how hard I tried to talk, my voice was nowhere to be found. And this is where I began to feel hopeless. Suddenly the air around me became thin and cold. My lungs were quickly growing heavy and a piercing pain filled my chest. I felt like I was drowning, and at that moment, I panicked. I tried to move, to get out of the room and get back to the hallway. Maybe I would be safe there. I had as much success moving my feet as I had trying to speak and see. It was impossible. I was going nowhere. I looked around desperately, trying to feel around for anything in my small circle of mobility. Nothing. For a few more moments, I held onto some distant hope that I would find myself out of this hell. Then, I gave up and remained still, assuming that there was no hope left in my world. I stood there, not knowing where I was or what was going to happen next, when a small bead of light appeared several feet in front of me. It was a warm and welcoming sight, and I couldn't contain my joy as a small smile crept onto my lips. I was free. An overwhelming calm rushed over me again, and as the bead of light crept slowly closer, that sense of weightlessness came back. It was then that I heard a voice.

"Lily," a man's voice, full of pure relief and happiness. This made me smile even more. As the small bead of light grew more intense, it illuminated the face of the man I had loved for so long.

"James," I sighed in relief. I was happy to find that my voice had returned as I looked upon his handsome features. The glow emanating from the tip of his wand cast a warm light on his skin and made his hazel eyes sparkle brilliantly. He smiled at me before stepping forward and closing the gap between us.

"I thought I had lost you. When I woke up, you had gone." He frowned slightly as he said this, raising a hand to my cheek and gently touching my face with his fingertips.

"Shh. I'm here now, James. Don't worry," I said as I placed a finger on his lips. He took his hand from my face and wrapped his arm around me, placing it on my lower back and pulling me even closer to him. We looked into each other's eyes for a moment, reading each other, before James leaned down and kissed me. No words could describe how much love he put into that kiss, and how much passion we felt for each other. It was pure magic. Slowly and grudgingly, we parted. I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested the side of my face on his chest, listening to his heartbeat and feeling his chest rise and fall with every breath. He ran his fingers through my hair as his chin rested on the top of my head.

"I love you so much, Lily." I felt myself smile at his words.

"I love you too, James." I had found what I was looking for...

_Beep, beep, BEEP!_

Damn it.

I was suddenly awakened by the most obnoxious sound on earth– the alarm clock. Wait…that was all just a dream? But it felt so real...

Groggily, I rolled over and stuck my hand out, feeling around for the "snooze" button without bothering to open my eyes, but immediately realized I was laying on something rather hard. I wondered for a moment if I had managed to roll off my bed during the night and was currently on the floor, but whatever I was lying on was certainly more comfortable than carpet. I figured I was imagining things and I was too lazy to even thinking of opening my eyes. Unfortunately, I hadn't even found the alarm clock when I felt whatever I was lying on begin to move. Wait, what? MOVE!?

I immediately opened my eyes, and what I saw terrified me–_his _face, merely inches from my own.

"AHHHH!" I screamed as I sat upright in the bed. What the hell was going on!?

At that precise moment, a very panic-stricken and terrified James Potter quickly sat up in the bed as well, a little too fast it seemed, and our heads collided painfully.

"Shit!" He cursed as he fell back onto his pillow, grasping his forehead. I, on the other hand, had scrambled to the foot of the bed, trying to keep the room from spinning and figure out what WAS GOING ON! I had been laying on him! We were IN BED together. What?

"What are you doing in my bed, Potter?" I growled. It was at that moment that I realized I had a monster headache. Damn, that James Potter had a hard cranium.

He was groaning and rolling around slightly. Obviously, our collision had hurt him _a little_ as well. Poor baby. Wait, was I feeling sorry for him? Eww. What was wrong with me?

"What do you mean, _Evans_? I think the question I need to ask you is 'what are you doing in _my_ bed?'" He spoke through clenched teeth. What? _His_ bed? The nerve!

"What the fuck? Potter, I wouldn't get into bed with you if it was the only thing saving my life!" I was practically screaming at him, which was just making my headache worse.

You need to calm down, Lily. Just take some deep breaths and calm down…

No! I won't calm down. That bastard's in my bed!

My bed…with me in it. Together…hell no.

Suddenly, my mind flooded with horrible thoughts. What exactly happened last night? My face grew hot as I looked at James. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and the covers were hiding his... um, bottom half. Was he naked?

Oh my god.

Was _I_ naked?

My hands immediately flew up to my breasts, and I was happy to feel the thin fabric of my tank top covering me. Praise Merlin I wasn't nude!

I was so absorbed in my own thoughts I didn't even realize that James was now sitting up in the bed, leaning against the fabric-covered headboard and staring at me with an amused expression on his face. The look in his eye suggested that he wished his hands were where mine were at the moment and I immediately dropped them into my lap, my face growing hotter with every second.

"What are you looking at?" I was very upset with him at the moment, and I still hadn't figured out what was going on. He simply shrugged.

"Oh, nothing." I rolled my eyes. My frustration was mounting.

"Again, I ask you: What are you doing in my bed?" I decided not to yell, because that headache of mine was not letting up. Instead, I used my intimidating death stare.

"Lily, for the last time, I'm not in your fucking bed. Yours is over there." He motioned to his right, wincing slightly at my expression, as I slowly turned my head. I knew I was wrong the moment he said it, but when I saw the undisturbed white sheets and comforter of the queen-sized bed next to the one I was currently on, I felt all the color drain from my face. I couldn't look back at him. It was way too embarrassing. I could feel his eyes boring into me and I knew I had to face him. I couldn't let him get the satisfaction of defeating me. So, of course, I did. I looked him straight in the eye, and what did he do? He started smirking at me.

_Smirking._

So what did I do? I leaned forward, grabbed my pillow, and chucked it at his face as hard as I could. God, I hope it hurt him.

But I was wrong. He was still smiling, and as only James Potter would do, he reached behind him and grabbed his own pillow.

"Is that how you want to play, Lily?" He said as he waggled his eyebrows. Then, without any time to react, he hit my stomach with the pillow. Suddenly, I wasn't upset with him anymore. Well, I was a little, but I could get that all out by hitting him repeatedly with my newfound weapon.

"Oh, Potter. It's on." I shrieked as I jumped off the bed and grabbed the pillow I had been hit with seconds earlier. He followed my lead and bent over the bed to retrieve his weapon. Taking advantage of his position, I ran up behind him and whacked him on the back, pushing him over the edge of the bed and making him fall to the floor. I laughed loudly.

"Whatcha gonna do about that one, Potter?" I asked in a singsong voice.

I saw his messy excuse for hair pop up over the edge of the bed as he exclaimed, "Oh, you're going to regret that one, Lils!"

In one swift motion, he stood up and came running toward me. Instinctively, I began swishing my pillow back and forth in front of me to try and block him, but as he started hitting me with his, I began to inch closer and closer to the wall. In a few seconds, he had me flat against it; I was still thrashing away with my pillow but growing extremely tired by the minute. In one last futile attempt, I raised it over my head, poised to strike. He was too quick for me, though. I one swift motion, he had grabbed my wrist with one hand, taken the pillow out of mine with the other, and pinned me between himself and the wall. I was laughing like crazy, completely forgetting that my head was about to split open from my migraine, and how I was growing weaker by the second. Quickly, I began to realize how close we were to each other and flashes of my dream were now creeping into my mind. I stopped laughing. I could feel his breath on my cheek as he looked at me. We seemed to be staring each other down. With my hand still pinned against the wall above my head by James's, he began to lean closer. Oh my god, this couldn't be happening. He was about to kiss me, and I was about to let him! No!

"You know James, we should probably start getting ready. First day of the convention and all!" I said nervously, turning my head to the side and pretending to find something interesting on my hand. I couldn't give in like that. He was James Potter for chrissake! My arch nemesis, my enemy by fate. Why was I falling for him? God.

He let go of my wrist and my arm flopped down to my side.

"You're right. How about you go take a shower. I'll get some breakfast." He sounded disappointed and he wasn't looking at me.

"Yeah, okay. That sounds good."

Can you say, "awkward"?

Quickly, I gathered my things from my luggage chest and made my way to the bathroom, where I spent the next twenty minutes in the shower, contemplating what had just happened. Part of me had wanted that kiss, longed for it. That disappointed me. What was happening? Was I forgetting all my morals, all the promises I had made myself? I couldn't just go gallivanting around, falling for any guy who looked my way. And why was I after Potter of all people? He was a total smartass. I shook my head and muttered to myself, "Lily, get a grip."

After I got done with my shower, I got dressed, put on a little mascara and lip-gloss, and decided to let my hair go natural. With a touch of curl cream and a few bobby pins, my look was completed. I glanced at the clock in the bathroom: 6:45 AM. We would be at the convention in two hours. I was getting nervous. What would it be like?

I gathered up my clothes and shower stuff and walked out into the sitting room. James was sitting on the sofa reading an old _Daily Prophet_, his glasses propped lightly on his nose. He looked so, I dunno, mature or something sitting there. For a moment, I felt like we were some kind of married couple, but then snapped back to reality and mentally cursed myself for being so stupid.

"Hey, Lily. Enjoy the shower?" He smiled up at me. He seemed to be pretending that none of the morning's events had happened. He was probably just as embarrassed by it as I was. So, I decided if he could pretend to forget, so could I.

"Yes."

"I called room service. They'll be sending up breakfast in about twenty minutes. If you don't mind, I think I'll take a shower now." He leaned across to the coffee table and put down the newspaper before standing up and walking to his trunk.

"Oh, that's fine, James, just fine." I couldn't help but watch him as he gathered his day's dress and toiletries. What was going on in that mind of his?

"See you in a few," he said before closing the door to the bathroom. I listened as he turned the faucet on and heard the rings of the shower curtain scrape across the rod as he pulled it back. There was nothing to do, so I just sat down on the same couch James was on only moments before and read his newspaper. Fifteen minutes later and a fully dressed and amazing gorgeous-looking James stepped out of the bathroom.

"Food here yet?" He asked as he scuffed his hair with a towel.

"Um, no. Not yet." I was still deeply enchanted by the _Daily Prophet_. I looked up at him as he smiled.

"Interesting issue, right? Now I understand the reason I kept it." Mostly, this issue contained information on the Quidditch World Cup, which I didn't find particularly interesting, but I nodded all the same.

"Oh yes. Very interesting." Suddenly, the doorbell buzzed loudly, making me jump slightly. Then, there was a knock on the door.

"Room service!" Someone called through the wooden boundary. James motioned me to stay put after I'd made an effort to move, and bounded toward the doorway. From my place on the sofa, I spied a man dawned in a crimson uniform pushing a wheeling tray of food into the entryway.

"Thank you." I heard James say, and I listened as the sound of coins clinked into a tip jar on the cart.

The smell of ham, croissants, and omelettes filled the air as James brought a large tray of yummy goodness to our dining table. I was starving.

I sat down across from James, who was setting the table with our entrees, two glasses of juice, two napkin rolls with silverware inside, and a cute little vase of flowers. It all looked so enticing, I got all giddy.

"Oh, James. This looks wonderful!" I smiled as I unwrapped my silverware and placed the napkin in my lap.

"Yup," he said as he did the same.

Soon, we were chowing down on our food as if it was the first meal we'd had in weeks. The food was absolutely delicious, but something was pressing hard on my mind.

"James, what exactly happened last night?" My headache had reminded me of earlier and for some reason, I didn't think this headache was from our collision.

"What? You don't remember?" He looked nervous. He knew something. Something happened.

"No, I don't. What happened?"

"Um, well . . . what _do_ you remember?" He glanced up at me as he took a sip from his glass. _You're fishing, James Potter. Fishing. _

"I remember running in the rain . . . with you. After that, it gets a little fuzzy." I shrugged.

"Well, you had a little to drink."

I cocked an eyebrow at him, and gave him a _'I don't think so_' look. He noticed.

"Okay, so you had more than a little to drink. Actually, you had quite a lot." He started grinning, as if he knew something I didn't.

"And?"

"And what, Lily? You got drunk. You danced a little bit . . . not dirty!" He said as my mouth fell open.

"Did I do anything . . . rash?" I was really nervous. I didn't think he would have told me if I had done anything . . . if we had done anything, even if I paid him a million galleons.

"Lils, I would tell you if you did anything...if we did anything. You didn't. We _certainly_ didn't." I could tell he was lying through his teeth.

"You're lying through your teeth, James Potter!" I said as I pointed at him.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Lily, no."

"Whatever, James. If I did do anything, which I'm pretty sure I did because I can read you like a book, just remember it meant nothing. I was drunk, okay? It meant nothing!"

"Yeah, Lils. But you didn't do anything."

"Whatever."

We continued to eat the rest of our meal in silence. It was now 7:30 AM. In precisely one hour and fifteen minutes we would be at this blasted convention and I would finally have something to occupy my mind and scratch all thoughts of James Potter and the naughty things we no-doubtedly did last night from my head.

After breakfast, we walked to the entryway. It was still raining outside, so James gathered our coats and was enough of a gentleman to help me put mine on. He held open the door for me, and I nodded, making my way into the hallway. I had made it halfway to the elevator when I heard James run up beside me, and felt a hand lace its fingers with mine. I looked up at him, and noticed the smile he had on his face. I should have let go, but for some reason, walking hand in hand with James felt more right than anything in the world.

* * *

**Holy crap.**

Well, I hope you all loved it, once again! I've spent so much time on it, having rewritten it six times in different tenses, with different ideas. Gosh, I can't believe I've finished this sucker. I'm sure there will be someone who will ask, "Like, are they together now or something? Like, for real?!" I'll answer this right now. NO. I just left this open, and I liked the idea of the holding hands deal. So yeah...now on to chapter 8. Haha, at the rate this is going, I'll see you all next year! REVIEW PLEASE!

Love always,

Emily


	8. First Day: Part Un

Happy Christmahanukwanzakah! Now get reading! It's a biggy.

* * *

**CHAPTER 8: FIRST DAY**

**PART UN**

I don't know what possessed me to do it. Of course, I must've been off my rocker. But that's kind of what happens when I'm around her. I find myself doing things I wouldn't normally do. So all I could do was smile goofily as I slid my hand in hers. I figured she'd probably knock my lights out, but a surprising thing happened when I made my move- she looked up at me and smiled. It was then I assumed she was off her rocker as well.

It was almost too good to be true--walking down the hotel corridor with Lily's hand in mine. I'd glance down at her every now and then, to make sure it wasn't all a dream, and then smile to myself as I remembered the night before. I was happy she didn't remember anything or else I would've been slaughtered before breakfast. I couldn't help but reminisce on the way her lips had felt against mine, or the way those emerald eyes had glistened afterwards. She was addictive.

The hallway was surprisingly quiet, and in the back of my mind, I wondered where everyone else was. Weren't _we _all supposed to be on the same floor? I hadn't seen a soul since we had arrived. I was too lost in thought to even realize we had stopped walking and were now standing in front of the elevator. I'd been doing that a lot lately. Lily cleared her throat in an attempt to get my attention which wasn't at all necessary-I had been openly staring at her for the last fifteen seconds. She nodded pointedly towards the "level down" button as if to say, "You git! Push the damned thing!" So, I did. Almost immediately the doors slid open to reveal a young man and woman, probably in their early twenties, standing next to each other and talking quietly. When they realized the lift had stopped, they both turned to face us. The woman abruptly looked down at our hands, giggled, and nudged her male accomplice, who looked up and winked at me, as if to say, "You sly dog." I suddenly felt Lily drop my hand as if she'd touched a burning stove and watched her walk into the lift. I followed suit, feeling only slightly awkward that I was standing next to a couple of complete strangers who had just seen me holding hands with a girl. I felt like I'd just been caught having sex or something. As the heat swelled in my cheeks, I pushed the "ground level" button and clasped my hands behind my back, while trying to whistle along with the speaker box music. Lily had maintained a safe distance from me, standing at the opposite side of the small compartment as we descended. She was blushing madly, and even after we had successfully reached the lobby, a pink hue was still present on her cheeks.

Although Lily was much shorter that me, I found it slightly hard to keep up with her as she practically lunged toward the main doors. We were out into the cold, open air before I realized something--I didn't have a clue where this blasted thing was being held. A slight panic rose up in me as I looked down at her.

"Lily-"As if reading my mind, she pulled a folded bit of parchment out of her pocket and opened it up, revealing directions to the convention. "That's a map," I said without thinking as I pointed to the paper.

"Good job, James. I didn't know you had it in you," she said without looking up. Suddenly, her eyes left the map and she looked to her left, than up to the road in front of us before rolling her eyes and mumbling something incoherent as she glanced back down at the parchment. She seemed frustrated with me.

"Well, I mean . . . well, I uh just, um, didn't know how we were gonna--"

"Stop your insane muttering, Potter. I'm trying to concentrate."

Potter? What the fuck?

"When and where did you get that?" I was slightly jealous. I never received a map. _Relax, James. Play it cool. _

"Does it really matter?"

"Um, yeah it does. Why didn't I get one?"

She sighed.

"I received it from Professor Dumbledore before we boarded the train. I don't know why you didn't get one . . . but it was probably on the account that he didn't feel you were, shall we say, trustworthy enough to keep up with it," she said in a haughty voice.

"Me? Not trustworthy enough? I should think I'm very trustworthy, on the mere fact alone that I've been having to keep up with _you_."

"Oh shut it, Potter. The map says we need to go left and turn right at the next crosswalk. Can your tiny brain comprehend that, or do I need to write it down for you?"

"No, I think I can . . . hey, don't you insult me, Lily Evans! Let's not start this again. Give me the goddamn map if you think I can't remember," I said as I reached to take it from her. She swatted my hand away.

"No, Potter. Because reading a map requires a bit of intellect, and seeing as how you have none, I do believe we'll be much safer if I did it." With that, she turned on her heel and began walking down the sidewalk. I immediately trailed her. Was this her way of flirting? Or was she just mad at me? Or . . . no, it couldn't be. She couldn't possibly remember last night after all, could she?

Shit.

_No, this is definitely about the whole "hand holding" thing earlier_, I told myself. I knew one thing for sure: girls were damn confusing. I mean, her bitterness was completely one-sided. She'd done it all herself. I didn't provoke her in any way. _Must be the hangover_.

So, because I was smart and didn't want my head blown off, I let Miss Priss take care of the directions. I went where she told me to go, and didn't respond to any of her questions or insults. Maybe it would all die down.

Oh, how wrong I was.

"Potter, I told you to follow that road . . . turn left, turn left!" She was practically screaming at me and if she'd known how much attention she was drawing towards herself, she would've shut up. I, on the other hand, wanted to look at a window display for a muggle shop that specialized in something called "wigs." I assumed their purpose was for muggles who had lost their hair. There was one particular manikin sporting a hot pink do I found quite amusing. I held my ground as she tugged on my jacket, which almost made me lose my balance a time or two, smiling all the while as she continued to wail at me. When I believed she had made a fool of herself long enough I picked up walking, but my anger towards her was rising.

"Okay, now once we get past this building, we have to take an s-bend path past a pastry shop at the corner of Doushels. And for the love of Merlin, please don't decide you want to go . . . "

_I'm going to kill her._

"...in and eat because we don't have enough time for that. Besides, you're getting fat."

_She just insulted my physique! I am NOT fat._

"Oh, and Potter. If you do _anything_ to embarrass me or our school at this convention, I swear to God I will-"

That was it. I'd had enough of her bitching. I quickened my pace so that I was walking next to her, and ignoring her blatant protests, grabbed her by the arm, pulled her into a nearby alleyway, and flung her against the wall.

I felt the anger I was harboring dying to explode." What the hell is wrong with you, Evans?" Yeah, I know. I said it.

"What do you mean, what's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?!" She said heatedly as she brushed her sleeve where I had touched her, as if I had left germs that were going to poison her. It was coming…I could feel it. I couldn't hold it in any longer. _It 's all because of_-

"YOU!" I spat out. My brain yelled _KABOOM_. She looked mildly surprised. "You're what's wrong with me, Lily Evans. Every blasted thing you do! Ever since we left the hotel, all you could do was bitch at me." I ruffled my hair in frustration as I turned my back to her. She remained silent. "This morning before we left, you were different. I thought for a moment you'd finally pulled that stick out of your ass and loosened up. But I guess it was hopeless. So I'll ask you again-- what the hell is wrong with you?" My angry voice echoed through the alleyway, and it only made me feel worse when I turned around and saw she was hanging her head so low I couldn't see her face.

Everything was quiet for a moment. I began to recognize the faint smell of garbage that laced itself over the alleyway, and the light trickling noise of a leaky faucet that was attached to one of the walls. I could hear the distant sound of traffic, and the music of a muggle radio floated out through one of the windows overhead. It was dark in that alleyway. So dark, in fact, I was surprised I could see the tear that escaped one of those emerald eyes as Lily looked back up at me.

"I'm sorry, James. I don't know what's gotten into me," she said pitifully. I, on the other hand, and was starting to feel sick at the fact that I had made her cry. I hadn't even recognized the way she had addressed me.

"Lily, I'm sorry. Don't cry. I didn't mean to-"

She let out a blubbery laugh. "You didn't make me cry, James. I just realized how horrible I've been to you today . . . and, well . . . I'm sorry." With that she let out a burst of tears.

If you think that was awkward, wait till you see what I did next.

I felt horrible that she was crying and that I couldn't do anything about it. I felt like I'd made her this way because I'd raised my voice at her. She was still leaning on the wall where I had left her, but she seemed weak and small in that moment. I had never seen Lily Evans cry before and the mere thought of it was making me sick. She was always so strong, and I thought I would be dead before the day I saw her break down. I walked over and leaned on the wall right next to her and awkwardly patted her back to comfort her.

Then, something completely unexpected occurred. One second I was patting on her back, and the next she had grabbed me tightly and was hugging me as if her life depended on it. Her arms were wrapped around my waist and her head was buried in my chest, and I could feel her hot tears soak through my shirt. As if by instinct, my hands found their way to her back, and I rested my chin on top of her head as she cried. I never really understood why she was crying; it was a battle inside herself she was fighting. Was there something I didn't know? Possibly. But it was for her to know and for me to forget.

I didn't know what to say to her, so I just held her. I held her until her shuddering had gone away, and her chest, which was heaving before, became steady with regular breathing. It was all I could do.

Now, I don't want to get all sentimental here, or you all will think I'm whipped, but she felt like she fit perfectly in my arms. After the shock wore off that _the_ Lily Evans was desperately clinging to me, I enjoyed comforting her, and the way her hair smelled as I kissed the top of her head. I loved how I could make her feel better with just a hug. I loved how I could draw small circles on her back with my fingertips, and she wouldn't yell at me for touching her. I think I might have even truly loved _her_ at that moment. Tell me about crazy.

When it seemed she had calmed down enough, I loosened my grip on her body. No matter how much I enjoyed holding her, I was scared to death we would be late to the convention and if we _were_ late, she'd flip her lid. I felt her slide her arms from around my waist and I sighed as I realized it was over. But then I felt her hands pressed against my chest, and for a moment I was falling…until my back collided with the brick wall of the alleyway. It seemed much darker now; only a few rays of sun graced her face, illuminating her eyes, her lips, a few stray auburn hairs that had escaped their holds. I hardly knew what to do with myself as I saw her face getting closer to mine.

And then, for the second time in my life, I felt Lily's lips against mine. But this time, it was different. Behind it all was tenderness and innocence, things that were missing last night. The first kiss was full of lust and a deep primitive hunger. It was purely physical. But in this kiss, I felt a connection with Lily's soul. It seemed, as I skimmed her jaw line with my fingertips, that I could read her thoughts. I could feel her pain, I could sense her weaknesses, I could see her as the real Lily. She even tasted different, and it was exhilarating to discover the new way in which her lips moved against mine, or the way her tongue traced lightly over my lips. But before I had time to fully react to her forward action, she pulled away.

I was surprised to find that a slight shiver ran down my spine as I felt her hot breath on my ear.

"Thank you, James."

That was all she said. It bewildered me how delicately she had said it, and how pure it was. There was no longing in her voice, but simple gratitude. She stepped away from me before turning and walking towards the entrance of the alleyway. I stood there for a moment, trying to regain my bearings and ask myself if this was real. Did that just happen? The look in her eye as she glanced back at me suggested it was no dream.

"Are you coming, or do I need to drag you to this convention?" she bantered.

"Uh-"I cleared my throat before continuing. "Yes, Lils. Coming." She stopped and waited as I jogged up to her.

"I think you'll be needing this," she said as she thrust a piece of paper into my chest. "But don't take your power lightly."

Looking down, I took the parchment from her hands and opened it up. The map of London gleamed back up at me.

"Now, dear director, where are we headed?" she inquired sweetly.

"Due north, Skipper." I smiled down at her. She returned it.

"Ay ay, Captain!"

◦◊○◊◦

I looked from the map to the old, abandoned shop we were currently standing in front of.

"This can't be right. We've followed the directions to a tee." To me, a convention center seemed like it would be much more grandiose than an old rundown store. Where had we made the wrong turn? My frustration was mounting.

"James, it says on the back of the map what we're supposed to do when we get here. It's like Saint Mungo's. It's hidden from the muggle world." She tapped the back of the parchment with her finger and I flipped it over to see a full list of instructions on how to enter.

_Before beginning entrance process, please observe surrounding areas in the off chance a stray muggle may view your actions._

I glanced around. Nope, no muggles here.

_Step 1: Place the tip of your wand on the map and recite, "revealo". A password will appear on your map. _

Done. _Caput Draconus_.

_Step 2: Standing in front of the shop's window, place the tip of your wand on the glass and say the password aloud. _

I walked to the glass pane. "Caput Draconus".

_Step 3: The glass has now become passable. Step through the glass and continue to the front desk for entrance. _

"Come now, Lily. We have to walk through the glass." I held out my arm as she looped hers into mine and we walked through the barrier together. A curious tingling sensation crept over my skin as we passed through, but it was soon over. We were now standing in a grand hall with ceilings at least thirty feet high.

For the first time on this trip, I was actually looking forward to this convention. In the hall were hundreds of witches and wizards, all buzzing around excitedly as they stood in line at the entrances. Curious as to what lay ahead of us, I pulled Lily along with me as I walked to the front desk, just as the map had instructed me to do. A barmy-looking man with glasses sat behind it, staring at us intently.

"Names, please?" He inquired.

"This is Lily Evans and I'm James Potter. We're students from Hogwarts."

"Ms. Evans and Mr. Potter--Hogwarts," he said while pointing his wand to a large book on the desk's surface. Immediately, the cover flipped open and pages went flying as the search for our names began.

"Bah! Here we are! Evans and Potter. If you both would please sign here," he signaled as he heaved the massive book up to where we could reach it. We both signed our names on the dotted lines, at which the man slammed the book shut.

"Please roll up your sleeves." He requested as he stepped out from behind his desk. He was short man, slightly stubby, with a scuffy walk. Lily and I did as he asked.

"These marks are what guarantee your entrance to the convention. They are magicked to appear when you enter through the barrier as you just did a moment ago, and to disappear when you depart." With that, he tapped the bend of our arms and a small maroon star appeared, slightly bigger than the end of one's finger. "Welcome to the International Wizarding Convention, and enjoy your day, Ms. Evans and Mr. Potter!" He scurried behind his desk, pressed a button, and suddenly two glass doors appeared. I looked at him quizzically.

"Well, go on then!" he exclaimed as he motioned us to enter. I grabbed Lily's arm once again as she stared up at me and we walked through the doors together.

"Well, he was quite an interesting character," she said after we had successfully made it through to the other side. We were now standing in the middle of a bright white building, with thousands upon thousands of what seemed to be kiosks. I had never seen anything like it. It was like we were in a whole new world, with everything magical we could possibly think of at our fingertips. Everywhere we turned, things were being purchased. Far ahead, I saw a whole wall full of candies. There were broom stores, cauldron galleries, live fashion shows, dozens of book shops…it was like Diagon Alley had exploded a million times over in this building. I was so amazed, I found my mouth was hanging open. To my left, I heard Lily voice her astonishment.

"Wow…. This is insane, James! Where do we even begin?"

"Um…I have no idea." We both stood there for a moment, soaking it all in as thousands of witches and wizards raced by, some even younger than us, giggling as they opened a chocolate frog boxes or murmuring to each other about the latest in cauldron accessories.

"Well, we can't stand here all day, now can we? Come on. We'll start on this side and work our way across." I was still staring blankly off into space as I felt her hand grab mine and begin pulling me along with her.

As we crossed through all the busy shoppers and vendor's booths on our way to our first stop, I looked down at Lily. She was smiling as she looked ahead, and in that moment there was nowhere else I would've rather been. I decided to make the best out of today, even if it would be long and I'd probably be bored out of my mind by the end of it. She would have fun, and that was all that mattered.

I was having a hard time controlling myself now that she had kissed me. Somehow, that moment had seemed to open up a whole new realm of possibilities. I wondered, secretly, if she would protest to more kisses. Would I be able to kiss her whenever I wanted and get away with it? Was our relationship more than just a "friendship"? Would I be able to touch the small of her back, or hug her if I wanted to? Of all of these things, I was uncertain. This was new and uncharted territory.

"Alright, here we are. Shall we begin?" she inquired as she looked up at me with a smile. We were now standing in front of a book kiosk.

"This is perfect. Come on."

◦◊○◊◦

We'd spent nearly three hours there before I couldn't contol myself any longer. When we had entered that book shop, I had glanced over to a far kiosk and observed a great crowd of spectators gathering around what appeared to be a broom. I had desperately wanted to go see it; I was in need of a new broom, after all. But, I had controlled myself. _We will get to it eventually_, I told myself. _Be patient, James_. And I had been…for the most part. But it seemed to take Lily forever to look through all the shops and I was getting more impatient by the minute. Finally, I cracked.

"Lils, there's something I want to go check out. Do you mind?" I asked as I walked up behind her.

"Oh no, James. You go ahead," she said without tearing her eyes out of the book she was currently reading. "I'll meet up with you later."

"Alright. Thanks." I turned and left her, walking quickly to where I had seen that broom. I felt my giddiness increase with every step and when I finally reached the display, I let out a small laugh. The new Nimbus! Several small children were gathered around the glass box that held my interest, pressing their noses against the panes and exclaiming their glee.

"Wow!"

"Cool!"

"I wish I could fly…."

I felt like one of those kids in that moment. I wanted it…had to have it. I walked over to the store vendor to ask the price.

"Excuse me, sir. How much are you asking for that new Nimbus?" He let out a small laugh.

"'Bout 500 galleons, mister. Ya willin' to pay that much?" I thought about it for a moment.

"Well, I've been in need of one for quite some time now. I've heard this is a spectacular broom."

"Oh, well o'course it is! Best there is."

"Well, then if you don't mind, I'd like to purchase it." I pulled out a bit of parchment from my pocket and wrote down my address. "Would you please bill and send it to this address?" The man looked at it skeptically for a moment before nodding his head.

"Sure thing, mister. Thanks for the business."

"Have a good day, sir." I nodded my head before turning around to search for Lily. It took me only a few minutes before I found her—that red hair could be seen from practically anywhere. But when I approached her, I noticed she wasn't alone. I stopped dead in my tracks. She was talking to a man; a tall man with light brown hair and an air about him I didn't quite like. He didn't look old—maybe eighteen or nineteen at the most. She had on a shy demeanor and I could tell from the look in his eye, he was flirting with her; a burning sensation grew in my stomach when I noticed she was flirting back. Naturally,I wanted to interrupt them before anything else could happen, so began walking towards her again, quickening my pace.

"Lily!" I said as I approached her. When I was next to her, I threw my arm around her shoulder and looked at the bastard she was talking to straight in the eye. "Who's this?" Smiling, I looked down at her as I gave a shoulder a squeeze. What could I say? Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Oh, um. James, this is Collin McAlister. He's from the Ministry…an intern. Collin, this is James Potter."

"I'm escorting this beautiful young lady during her stay in London. Please to meet you, Collin." I put on a fake grin as I stuck my hand out.

"Pleasure is all mine, sir. You are quite lucky to have Lily's company. She seems to be a fine lady." He smiled at her as he gave my hand a firm squeeze, which I was returning tenfold, and I could feel her shoulders rise and fall with deepening breaths. _Not good, James. Pull out. Pull out!_

"Well, if you'll excuse us…Lily and I still have quite a bit to see before we head home to our room tonight. Coming, love?" Again, I gave her shoulders a slight squeeze.

"Um, yes James. Well, nice meeting you, Collin. Have a wonderful night. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked.

"Why of course! I shall look for you. Goodbye, Lily. Have a good evening." He took her hand in his and kissed it gently. It was taking all my strength not to beat the shit out of him(and to keep from puking). I looked down into her face and noticed a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Okay, well. Come on, Lily," I said as I began to pull her away from that Collin bastard. We'd only made it a couple of feet before he yelled back at us.

"Where are you staying?" he inquired to her. Lily whipped around, removing my arm in the process, and replied, "Harrington Hotel, room 317. Call the front desk and they'll connect you." She was smiling again.

"Alright. Goodbye, Lily!" He turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd.

"Goodbye," she all but whispered. _Distract her, dammit!_

"Well, her was a curious fellow, wasn't he?" I said uneasily.

"What do you mean by curious, James? He seemed quite a gentleman to me." She still had that dazed look in her eye. How come she'd never had that look when she was with me?

"Oh yes, Lily. Just strutting right up and talking to you. He just wants in your pants." What? It was true…

"James Potter! I can't believe you just said that!" There was only a hint of anger in her voice, but it was covered up with amusement.

"What? It's true-just stating the facts, is all." I nodded my head in silent agreement with myself. She stopped walking and crossed her arms over her chest, looking quite putout.

"What makes you think he wants in my pants?" She began blushing when she said this.

"Well, for one thing…it's all most guys think about. I can tell you, I'm a man. Second, he had that look in his eye—you know, the "I wanna fuck you hard" look?" Her jaw dropped at this. "Thirdly, he's a bastard."

She was quiet for a moment. "What makes him a bastard, then?"

"Because he was talking to you. Believe it or not, Lils, I care a hell of a lot for you. It makes me just a tad bit upset when I see a guy trying to take advantage of you."

"Um, well thank you, James…I guess." She looked down at her feet and tucked some hair behind her ear.

"Anyway, I want you to watch out for guys like that."

"Well, I don't think it should be your concern who I fancy and who I don't." She said it dryly, but I could tell she was trying to keep peace. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

If only she understood how much I cared about her.

"Well, are we gonna stand around here all day or are we gonna finish looking around? Hmm?"

"Yeah, sure." But I could tell her mind was somewhere else. It was pissing me off.

I suddenly realized the magnitude of the situation. I was in a competition now—a competition for Lily's heart. And I was determined to win.

* * *

**Consider this your Christmas present.**

So, the ending wasn't supposed to be much, because if you could tell from the title of the chapter, this is only the FIRST part of Day One. Part Two will be coming shortly.

This chapter was also slightly like a 6 month anniversary present I gave to myself. It's kinda hard to believe I've been writing it that long...

And now that I come to think of it, it's also a celebration of 12,500 hits to my story. Woohoo.

La la la la la…review if you wanna! Hope you enjoyed it. Happy holidays.

--Emily

PS—Just in case you don't ever look at my user profile, I made a LiveJournal that will keep you all up to date on what I'm doing (writing-wise). Check it out at: emily-b-ff (dot) livejournal (dot) com.


	9. First Day: Part Deux

**Oh dear. **

Heh. Sorry! Now read!

**CHAPTER 9: FIRST DAY**

**PART DEUX**

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I guess you could say I was smitten. I could've sworn I had felt Cupid's Arrow hit me straight on the bum. The world was spinning, my knees were weak, and even gravity couldn't have kept me down after I met _him._

Love wasn't exactly what I'd call it; that feeling I got when I first met Collin McAlister. No, it was something much _richer_, something that made those butterflies the girls in my dorm always talk about magically flutter in my stomach (but that could've very well been those pastries we had earlier). Whatever it was, I knew I wanted to feel it again. He was probably one of the most handsome men I had ever met (I regret to say James was right up there with him on the list), and the fact that he was nearly two years older than me made him even more appealing.

He'd been skimming a book in the New Releases section of the booth James left me in—a piece of fiction I had been dying to read. I noticed that he was quite attractive, but it wasn't until he looked up from the book and into my eyes as I neared the display, that I got a full picture of Collin McAlister. He had a rather chiseled chin with just as structured cheek bones, his skin was amazingly tan, and the perfect way his brown hair fell into his dark blue eyes made me wonder for a moment if he was actually real. As his glance met mine, I looked quickly away, feeling myself blush in the process. I tended to do that when any man looked at me in those days.

"This book sounds amazing, doesn't it? I've heard it's a very good read." I looked up from the floor when I heard that deep voice and realized he was talking to me. _Say something, Lily!_

"Oh, what? Um…yes, I've heard that, too. I was wondering when I'd be able to pick it up. The plot—it sounds amazing. I've read nothing but praise about it in the Daily Prophet." _You're talking too much_. I picked up a copy from the table to give my hands something to do. Why was I so nervous?

He chuckled.

"The name's Collin McAlister." He stuck his hand out and I had to awkwardly shuffle the book to my other hand before I shook his.

"Lily Evans. Nice to meet you, Mr. McAlister." I loosened my grip, but he maintained his on my hand.

"Please, call me Collin. And the pleasure is all mine, Lily." I loved the way my name rolled off his tongue, as if no one could've said it better. He brought my hand up to his mouth and kissed the top of it lightly, keeping eye contact with me all the while, which made me blush furiously. It embarrassed me that I blushed all the time. His move was a little Old School, but I still appreciated the effort. No man had ever been so polite to me. Not even James.

He smiled as he loosened his grip on my hand, and I giggled stupidly as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"So, where are you visiting from? What school?" I looked at him for a moment, his question not sinking in because I was hardly paying attention to anything other than the movement of his lips.

"Oh. Hogwarts…Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." I watched as he made the well-known "ah" expression on his face. "I'm the Head Girl." _That was unnecessary._ "What about you? Which one are you from?"

"Well, I used to attend a magic school in Canada, but I transferred back here for my job at the Ministry. I'm interning in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. Rather fascinating, those muggles." He winked, which made my knees go only _slightly_ weak.

"Oh, so you've graduated?" I asked. _Keep talking, buddy. Let's find out how old you are._

"Yes, a little over a year ago--just celebrated my nineteenth birthday. I feel rather old." He chuckled.

"Oh yes, you'll be hunched over with a cane soon, I'm afraid. But to tell you the truth, you don't look a day over…forty-five." I joked.

"Why thank you! Being in the company of beautiful redheads keeps me young, I must say," he said, smirking. It was a rather James-y smirk, if I do say so myself. I briefly wondered if all men were capable of that same sexy look. Not saying that it looked sexy on James….

"I see. So just coming for a look around, I'm assuming?" I said with a little more confidence. I know I didn't know him, but I felt strangely comfortable talking to him. I figured he was just too handsome to be considered a creep ass, so his next statement only made me more _ga-ga_.

"Actually, I came by to see if I could find a girl named Lily Evans and ask her to have a cup of coffee, or perhaps dinner, with me at Brennan's tomorrow evening. She seems like an interesting girl. You don't happen to know where I can find her, do you?" He asked in a mockingly serious tone as he quirked an eyebrow.

It took me a moment to register that he was hitting on me, and that he was actually asking me out on a date, but I hardly had any time to reply, because at that moment I heard James shouting over the buzz of the crowd.

"Lily!"

_Shit. James, why?_ I felt the blood begin to boil in my cheeks. Faster than a speeding bullet he was standing next to me. I felt an arm drape around my shoulders. "Who's this?" He smiled at Collin, and then did the same to me as the arm squeezed my shoulders a little too hard. It was a fake smile. I could tell exactly what he was thinking. It pissed me off, to be honest.

"Oh, um. James, this is Collin McAlister. He's from the Ministry…an intern." Glancing at Collin, I quickly introduced James. "Collin, this is James Potter."

Once again, the fake grin came out as he reached for Collin's hand. "I'm escorting this beautiful young lady during her stay in London. Please to meet you, Collin." I almost rolled my eyes. _What are you doing? You're going to scare him away from me!_

"Well, if you'll excuse us…Lily and I still have quite a bit to see before we head home to _our_ room tonight. Coming, love?" And he did it again. That shoulder squeeze. I hated the way he called me "love".

"Um, yes James. Well, nice meeting you, Collin. Have a wonderful night. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked, hoping that I'd have more time to get to know him…that I might be able to take him up on his offer.

"Why of course! I shall look for you. Goodbye, Lily. Have a good evening." He grabbed my hand and once again gave me a chasté kiss on its sensitive skin. I couldn't help but blush. We stood there for a moment, looking at each other in the eyes, before James cleared his throat from beside me.

"Okay, well. Come on, Lily." He began pulling me away and I caught a smile from Collin before I turned away and began following James. We'd only gotten a couple of meters before I heard his voice call my name.

"Where are you staying?" I pried James' fingers off my arm and turned around, overjoyed that he'd asked.

"Harrington Hotel, room 317. Call the front desk and they'll connect you." I couldn't keep from staring at him for a moment before smiling.

"Alright. Goodbye, Lily!" With that, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowd.

"Goodbye," I whispered. I wondered for a moment if I would actually ever see him again…or if I had happened to have been dreaming it all. It seemed too good to be true—an amazingly attractive man two years older than me, hitting on me at a magic convention. James was brooding next to me, but what did I care? I'd just met my dream man.

****

We spent several more hours there, grabbing a bite to eat in the food court and purchasing little items that weren't really necessary. I got a couple of chocolate frogs in a candy kiosk, while James decided to be a little bit more daring and purchased a whole bag of Licorice Snaps. Those things disgusted me—I hated the flavor as much as I hated their sharp teeth piercing my skin. He was rather skilled at catching them, though…and I found myself amazed at the way he'd reach in the sack and pop one in his mouth without getting scathed, after which he'd wink at me, assuming I was staring at him.

Every time he looked at me, my mind kept flashing back to that moment in the alleyway, no matter how much the rational side of me tried to protest. It played out behind my eyeballs like a silent film—James yelling at me, me crying, him saying he was sorry, me telling him it wasn't his fault, him holding me, me kissing him. It all flashed by in a blur of color—except for that one moment when my lips brushed his.

Something about that kiss had felt familiar to me. The way his lips moved against mine…I couldn't place it. I'd felt it before. Impossible, I know—I'd never kissed him. All I knew was that it felt absolutely…amazing to be kissing James Potter. I had allowed myself to think those thoughts if only for a moment, allowing myself to remember. The feeling of his warm body against mine, the way his fingers traced my jaw line. I didn't think kissing Potter would've been so pleasant. I figured he'd be inconsiderate…rough, even. But he was the complete opposite of that. It felt…romantic.

I _didn't_ like him...that much. Of that I was certain. I mean, I'd been enemies with him from the very start. How could I suddenly care for someone who I'd vow to never even touch? I couldn't. It wasn't that. I didn't like him. No, there was just something seriously wrong with me.

Maybe…maybe I was sick. Yeah, that's it. I wasn't feeling well. I was…delusional. If he brought it up, I'd tell him that. I'd let him down easy. _James, I'm sorry to have led you on, but it's not my fault. I've got a cold. It's got my mind in a bunch. Let's just be friends._

Come to think of it, I really didn't want to be friends with him either. But I guess it wouldn't be so bad to be cordial towards one another. He wouldn't mind it, at least.

"What are you thinking about?"

I looked across the table at which we were currently drinking hot cocoa and met his gaze. How long had I been sitting there, lost in thought?

_You. _

"Nothing. Why?" I tried to sound nonchalant. He raised an eyebrow.

"No reason. You've just been staring of into space for the past twenty minutes and your cocoa's getting cold. I just thought…" he trailed off and looked down at his empty mug, running his finger along the rim.

"Sorry, James. I tend to be a bit spacey sometimes. But honestly, I'm fine." I smiled at him impishly even though I knew he wasn't looking. He suddenly found his mug to be much more interesting than my face.

"It's fine," he said. "Lily, I-"

"Attention all guests: The convention center will be closing in one hour. We ask that you please enjoy the rest of your stay. The doors will reopen at precisely ten o'clock tomorrow morning. Check-in procedures will be posted tomorrow."

He sighed. "Guess we should think about heading off then, eh?"

I wanted to ask him what he was intending to say to me, but I thought better of it. "I guess you're right. Are we going to grab some supper before we head back to the hotel?" He looked up at me with a renewed sense of fervor.

"Food? I'm in!" Big smile. Yes, of course. He would never reject an invitation to eat more. Such a boy.

We both stood up from the table, James brushing the crumbs of a pastry he'd had earlier off his trousers. His hair was a mess again—a little piece sticking up oddly at the back of his head. I had the inclination to fix it, but I stopped myself.

"Where are we headed?" I asked. He could decide the restaurant tonight. I'd forced him to the café earlier.

"Uh, well actually I saw a place that looked good on the way today. Not but about a ten-minute walk from here, I'm sure. Looked to be sort of a pub. I dunno, smelled good." Hair tousle with the fingers again. He was always messing with his hair. Maybe he could tell it was out of place, too. Or maybe it was nervous habit.

"Sure, James. That sounds great. Shall we?" I waved towards the exit doors as if prompting him to go first. I didn't want him to have the pleasure of a supremely nice view of my ass on the way out.

"Oh, we shall. After you, m'lady," he mimicked the motion of my gesture and smiled an…irresistible smile. Irresistible to anyone BESIDES me, I'm sure. But I wasn't going to be fooled by his tricks. I gave up and walked ahead of him, feeling his eyes burn a hole through my jeans straight to my bum.

He was right. It was hardly a ten-minute walk from the convention center. He was also right about it smelling good. I hadn't even noticed it on the way over. As we approached, there was a faint whisper of jazz music playing from inside, and the ambiance of the lighting outside suggested that it was a very rich and popular establishment. James and I glanced over the menu by the front entrance, determining if the food looked good, and when we'd both found things that sounded appetizing to us, we approached the host who walked us inside. As he led us to our seats, I took in all the colors of the restaurant. There were candles on every table, with dark walls and contemporary art adorning them. Colorful tablecloths covered every surface, and happy couples and families surrounded copious amounts of food, munching and enjoying each other's company. The host stopped and seated us about twenty feet from a small stage where a band was playing. He smiled at us and asked us to enjoy our meal before me and James settled down into our seats.

****

We'd been sitting in the booth quietly for about ten minutes, each glancing at each other every once in awhile and smiling politely, but not doing any more than that. The sound of the music was lulling me into a sort of trance and my eyelids would close every now and again as I soaked up the atmosphere of the little club. It wasn't till I had sat down that I realized how tired I was. The previous nights'…events or whatever you'd like to call them had caught up with me. But the music was also allowing me to think, and I figured James was doing the same. It was during one of those particular musings that I heard a girl's voice very close by say:

"Well, if it isn't James Potter himself! I thought I'd be dead before I saw the likes of you again!"

My eyes flew open, shocked by the loudness of the voice, and immediately my vision fell on a pretty young woman of about my age standing next to James' seat but slightly behind him with her hands on her hips, smiling brightly.

I shot a glance at him, and when I did I found that he had a gigantic grin on his face.

"I know that voice," he muttered to no one in particular before he spun around in his seat.

"Well, what are you just sitting there for? Come here and give me a hug!" The girl squealed as she opened her arms wide in an over exaggerated motion.

"Lindsay! My God, it's been years!" He said excitedly as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a very tight hug. He had his back to me, and I watched as she flung her arms around his neck. Expertly, James picked her off the floor and spun her around with him in a circle before placing her back down, her face snuggled into the crook of his neck and squealing all the while, her blond hair flowing behind her. At this moment, I felt an overwhelming pang of jealousy hit my gut.

When her feet were once again on solid ground, she grabbed his arms and leaned back a little to look at him in the face. "You haven't changed a day, James," She leaned in and kissed him on his cheek before looking up at him quizzically. "You're hair has gotten much longer, though." She ruffled it with her hand and he chuckled. Immediately, my mind started racing. I'd never seen this girl before; I'd never heard him speak of her. Was this another fuck-buddy of his? If it was…I hated her already.

"Oh it's so good to see you, Linds. How's the family?"

"Just fantastic. Travis just got a job at an Owlery service in Algeria and Mum's still at home taking care of those prize-winning mandrakes. Life couldn't get much better. What are you doing in London? I figured you'd be at Hogwarts right now…" She raised one perfectly-shaped eyebrow.

"Oh, well…I got chosen to go to this lame magic convention thing here in London this week. Headmaster sent me himself! I'm actually here with a friend," he turned and looked at me, which made Lindsay's interest spike as she peeked around his shoulder. "Lindsay, this is Lily Evans. Lils, this is Lindsay Patrice. I grew up with her. We were best friends before she had to go moving away and leaving me." He faked a frown in her direction, then smiled at me as she let go of his arms and walked towards me. I slid awkwardly out of the booth to stand in front of her, reaching out my hand for a polite handshake. Instead, dear old Lindsay decided to pretend that we were best of friends and grabbed my shoulders, leaning in to kiss me once on each cheek.

"Lovely to meet you, Lily!" She smiled brilliantly, flashing perfect white teeth in my direction. Oh, how I envied this girl already. She was beautiful, that's for sure. Of course she was…she was friends with James. She was the epitome of perfection, really. Her long gold locks framed her face perfectly. She was just the right amount of tan to make her look fit and healthy. Her makeup was perfect and not overdone. Her emerald green cocktail dress draped over her curves perfectly. She made me feel like a downright frump standing next to her. I immediately started tugging at my blouse, suddenly feeling self-conscious about my appearance.

I was nowhere near perfect. My red hair had always bothered me, even at a young age. My sister and her friends used to poke fun at me and call me names all the time, and it didn't seem to get any better once I came to Hogwarts for school. It felt frazzled and wild, and was incredibly difficult to tame. My skin was pale and freckled; I could never achieve the warm sun-touched glow of all my girlfriends. I'd simply burn and then walk around for a week looking like a psoriasis patient with my peeling skin. I could hardly call my figure "womanly". Sure, I had curves. I had an ass. But my boobs were definitely not as supple as Lindsay's. I _definitely _couldn't have pulled off that emerald satin dress, either.

I was sure that James was making these same comparisons in his head as we all stood there awkwardly, him and Lindsay catching up on their lives and I smiling and laughing half-heartedly every so often. I felt…so out of place. I watched his expression intently for any sign that he was attracted to her. I even looked for his eyes to glance down at her chest, or for his hands to touch her. But it never happened. Not once did he flirt with her. It wasn't even apparent to me that he thought of her as female. So, no. They'd probably never had sex before. That was a surprise. But every now and then, he would glance over at me and give me that look. The same look I've seen so many times before. A look I thought he'd be giving her instead of me. The look that clearly said, "I want you".

Normally, this wouldn't surprise me. Normally, he'd make some kind of flirtatious and suggestive comment to me, I'd scoff and tell him to bugger off, and then we'd move on. But this time, it felt different—there was no verbal conformation of his thoughts. And I was in the presence of an absolutely stunning woman. What was wrong with this picture? _James, snap out of it. I'm not like her._

…And that's when I started to get scared.

Truly, I'd never been in a real romantic relationship before. Sure, I'd had boyfriends. But I'd never felt passion with them. I'd seen the lust in their eyes, but I'd never seen any feeling to go along with that. And there was one big thing standing in my way—I'd never had sex before.

I'm not quite sure if James knew this. Well, who am I kidding? Of course he did. He was too much of a creeper NOT to know. My big theory about him wanting to get in my pants…was that he wanted my virginity. It was a game to him, I assumed. I'd be just another conquest. And that's one reason why I chose to hate him _so_ much. I knew if I didn't hate him, I'd end up fucking myself over. Because, my dear friends, we all know that James Potter is a hunk. We also know that he is just the right amount of "asshole" to constitute sexiness. He might not be the smoothest talker one-hundred percent of the time, but he has a way with the ladies. I, myself, am a lady. It seems only logical that he could work his magic on me. So of course, I needed to put up a front. I wouldn't want him to think he was winning, right?

Oh, but he was winning. It had been happening for a long time. I'm just really freaking amazing at hiding it. Like right now. _James, I really hate your gu—_

"Oh, look Lils. Food's here." I hate it when my inner monologue and zoning-out time gets cut short. But at least being interrupted by food isn't so bad. He looked at me in the eyes, motioning towards with table with a nod of his head. Our waiter had placed down some scrumptious-looking food, and my stomach growled at the sight of it.

"Well, James. I'll let you two get back to dinner. It was lovely seeing you again. I'll give you a dial sometime, alright?" Lindsay hugged him and then hugged me. Maybe some of her pretty would rub off…"Lily, nice meeting you. I'm glad James found someone so pretty." _Uhhh. _I blushed as I tried to think of a way to say thank you.

"Thanks. Um, nice meeting you too!" She smiled and waved, walking out of the little club and disappearing in the night.

We both sat down again after what seemed to be an hour, but in actuality had not been more than ten minutes. We unwrapped our silverware and I started stuffing my face with the roast I'd ordered, just as James asked, "Lily, what were you thinking about?"

I stopped chewing and looked up at him, then swallowed. "Thinking? When?"

"Standing there talking to Lindsay. You, uh…seemed kind of out of it."

"Oh, nothing. I'm just tired is all. You know how that goes. I was actually mostly thinking about how delicious this roast would be, and I was right!" I laughed nervously.

He stared at me for a moment, and I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. "Okay…" he mumbled. We didn't speak again.

****

I kicked off my shoes at the foot of my bed and flopped down onto the fluffy bedspread in our hotel room. I was exhausted, full, and feeling incredibly awkward. The entire walk back, James hadn't said much more than a few words to me. I wondered what I had done wrong, or what he thought I had been thinking. _I_ was still confused about what I'd been thinking. You know, I had met a very attractive man earlier. Collin was tall, dark, and handsome--definitely my type. And apparently, he was totally into me. So why was I wasting my time thinking about James over dinner when I could've been daydreaming about coffee shop dates with Mr. McAlister? _Sigh._ _Lily dear, you are one crazy girl._

I lay there with one ear pressed against the mattress, the other listening to the sound of running water and James' muted humming as he took a shower in the washroom. But instead of drifting off to sleep musing over the appealing features of the handsome gentleman I met this afternoon, I closed my eyes and tried to picture how sexy James Potter was wet and naked.

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**Meh.**

We'll see if it stays like this. I might end up editing it. But I wanted to go ahead and get it up here. I totally forgot about this story. Sorry guys. Don't hate me!

--Emily B.


	10. A Little Give and Take

**CHAPTER 10: A LITTLE GIVE AND TAKE**

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There comes a time in every man's life when he has to decide whether he's going to be hardheaded and let the woman of his dreams walk away from him, or if he's going to beg and plead like a little pussy until he gets her, even if it means being persecuted by the Best Mates Forever club (A.K.A. Padfoot and Moony) for months, no…_years_ to come.

Well, it was time for me to make that decision, and I'm _really _good at being a whiney bitch.

If Sirius has ever taught me anything, it's how to get what I wanted, and to stop at nothing in order to do so. Since first year I've known what I wanted – Lily Evans with a big diamond ring on her finger, gifted to her by none other than yours truly.

Sure, I might only be seventeen. But age doesn't make a difference when you've been bit on the ass by the Love Bug. I hope some of you will understand.

If you _do_ understand, I'm sure it would make sense WHY I wanted to beat Collin's face in for even looking at her at that bookstand. When Lily is around another guy, I turn into a jealous monster. I can't help it. Everyone should know I plan on marrying her, including Lily herself.

I couldn't sleep at all that night. Showering usually relaxes me before sleepy time, but when I walked out of the washroom and saw her snoozing on the bed next to mine, her mouth hanging open with a lovely small pool of drool on the pillow, I got nervous for the first time in a long time. It was more of a panic when I thought about losing her to some douchebag named Collin, who by the way, was not _nearly _as attractive as me on any level.

I spent the whole night brooding, thinking of devious schemes to get him to leave her alone. Telling him she had herpes wouldn't work. She'd find out and I'd wake up one morning missing "Little James". There really wasn't any way to get him to go away except to make it clear to him she wasn't available…and the only way for that to happen was if she actually got the "hots" for me out of the blue one day.

Then I started thinking about her _actually_ being into me. You know, the whole idea was not so farfetched. She seemed pretty frisky with me in the alleyway the day before. But you never know with Lily. It's like she's got multiple personalities. That happens with the perfectionist types – they're either wild and crazy or completely straight-tie, nowhere between. I don't know if it scares me or turns me on.

Yes, definitely the latter. So then, as I was laying there in bed that night, being an insomniac…I started to think about Lily naked. It wasn't the first time I'd thought about it, obviously. But it was different when she was in the same room as me, all innocent and stuff. For some reason, instead of just wanting to pounce on her and give her a night she'd never forget, I really just wanted to cuddle up beside her and listen to her breathe. I'd never felt that way with any other girl. I liked it, it felt right.

That's one reason I _knew_ I needed to fight for her. Lily wasn't like any other girl I'd been around. She was everything I wanted not only in the physical sense, but soul-wise as well. She was the one girl who could actually make _me_ feel like shit if I did something wrong. That's a huge feat, if you ask me.

Minutes melted into hours, hours melted into…well, more hours. Eventually, her alarm clock was going off and she shot out of bed like it wasn't hard for her at all to wake up. I pretended to be asleep while she brushed her teeth in the washroom, then her hair at the vanity across from my bed. She looked so tired, I wished I could convince her to just stay in bed and relax. That's what I wanted to do…keep her here with me all day so she couldn't see Collin.

Then she was off to shower, and I laid there and listen to the water patter against the tile floor, catching a faint whiff every now and again of her shampoo. I'd smelled it the night before while I was in there – it was sort of strawberryish. Made me want to eat it. I was pretty certain she was singing in there, as well. Maybe humming.

When I heard the door open up, I shut my eyes again, pretending still to be deep in slumber. When I sensed she was back in the room and it was safe for me to sneak a peek, I opened one eye slowly. She was in just her towel, her red hair making cute little curly Q's against her back. Then she turned around quickly and I shut my eyes hard, hoping she hadn't caught me peeping.

"James," she whispered. "James, are you awake?"

I didn't reply.

I heard her move closer to my bed. I was pretty sure she was checking to make sure I was still alive at that point. I felt a drop of water hit my arm.

"James." The whisper was much softer, kinder than before. When I didn't reply, she turned around and went back to the vanity. I heard her pull open a drawer.

I risked another glance.

There she was, holding a pair of her knickers. They were hot, too. Sort of lacy and satin-y. Purple – one of my many favorite colors on her. She started sliding one of her feet through, and I felt a pang of guilt surge through me. I was disgusted with myself.

_I shouldn't be watching her do this. She thinks I'm asleep._

But I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. The way she moved was so sensual and appealing to me. She looped her other foot through the leghole and slid them up her pretty legs until she was hiking up her towel to fit the waistband just above her cute butt. Not gonna lie, I saw a little crack action and it was amazing.

Then, surprisingly, she dropped the towel.

She had her back towards me. All I saw were the freckles splotched all over her shoulders and the creamy skin of her back. I was in heaven. She had a perfect body; I never understood why she covered it up as much as she did.

I was in the presence of such beauty, and I still didn't want her to turn around. I hoped and prayed she didn't.

_No boobies, no boobies, no boobies. _

…And then she slipped on a tank top. I let out an unnoticeable sigh. I was actually happy I didn't see Lily's breasteses? I really must be in love.

Unfortunately, some…other things were a little more noticeable than my sigh, like the nicely-sized tent I was pitching under my comforter. I quickly rolled over to hide it. The movement made Lily jump.

"Good morning James," she chirped. I don't think she'd realized she hadn't put any pants on yet. I _pretended_ to wake up, opening my eyes slowly, stretching. I also _pretended_ to notice her purple panties, staring hard and gasping at her.

"Nice knickers, Lils." I winked. Her face turned bright red as she realized she was pants-less. She grabbed the towel and wrapped it quickly around her waist.

"You're so…" she hesitated.

"Sexy? Amazing? Kissable?" I tried to help her find the right word.

"Insufferable." It sounded half-hearted, like she didn't really mean it.

"I know," I muttered, smiling.

"Are you going to get out of bed and get ready for the day, or do I have to drag you?" She smiled as she put on some earrings.

"You'll have to drag me. I'm afraid I lost the ability to stand up or perform everyday activities such as showering myself."

"I am afraid I can't help you there. I just finished my shower."

I made my puppy-face at her.

"Didn't you shower last night anyway?"

"Well yeah," I said. "But I like to make sure I smell good all the time."

She walked over to my bed, standing next to me as I lay there. She bent over, her damp hair falling into my face, and for a moment I thought, _this is it! She's gonna jump me!_ But she simply stuck her noise in my neck and sniffed loudly, then slowly started to pull back.

There was a moment when my eyes locked with hers, and I almost kissed her. But I refrained and she looked disappointed. She stood back up and put her hands on her hips.

"Well, you smell just fine."

"Better than that Collin guy?" No reply. She turned around and started fiddling with the clothes in her drawer.

.::-::.

After my shower and morning primping, I walked back into the bedroom, where Lily was sitting and reading some sort of letter.

"We're having dinner together tonight, you know," she murmured.

"You and me? Yes, I know," I played coy, hoping she didn't mean what I thought she meant.

"No. Collin and I. He's asked me out on a date." She didn't even look at me, her head down as she spoke.

"I see."

"Look, James. I-"

"What's he have that I don't, Lily?" I choked a bit on the words, a strange anger building up in me.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know what I mean. Don't skirt around the issue. We both know I have feelings for you. If you don't know that by now, you're an idiot…no offense."

"Well, I…I don't know what I'm supposed to say to that James. Really, you know we've never gotten along that well-"

"Because you won't try to get along with me, Lils. Don't forget that fact," I sighed, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Now tell me, what's he got that I don't have?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know? Or are you just saying that so you don't hurt my feelings? You've pushed me away this long Lily, I'm not afraid of your rejection anymore."

That struck a nerve.

"God James, I don't know!" She took a deep breath. "Listen, I don't know what's gotten into either one of us in the past couple of days. I'm confused about a lot of things, and I feel like…I'm being pressured to be with you when I don't know if I want to be. I find it all to be incredibly awkward."

"Wait, so…you don't know if you want to be with me?"

She nodded, looking at a pillow.

"So…you're not positive you _don't_ want to be with me?"

"Um." I heard her gulp. "Yeah, I guess."

"Wooooooow. Wow." All I could do was sit there and feel the tinglies in my belly. She wasn't sure what she wanted! It was way better than her knowing she hated me!

She rolled over, shoving her face in a pillow. I heard her muffled voice. "Oh God, I shouldn't have told you anything," she whined. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." Each punctuated by the sound of her fist hitting the bedspread.

I knew she was embarrassed, but I felt a renewed sense of hope that all my efforts were not totally in vain.

"So…why not give _us_ a try, Lils?" I stretched out next to her on my back.

She turned her head and peeked out at me through a layer of her hair. "Because, you're gross."

I scoffed. "Gross? How am I gross? I'm very hygienic and actually very gentlemanly once you get to know me."

"No, not that. It's just…you're…_Potter_. Ugh, I don't know how to explain it, James. Collin just feels…right to me. More…"

"Go ahead and say it."

"Safe."

"Safe as in, not as risky? Or what? It's not like I'm going to murder you if we go on a date."

"It's not that simple. I don't see why I have to explain my feelings to you," she stated curtly. I could tell the conversation wasn't going to go much further. She was beginning to get agitated. Her ears were turning pink.

"Well. Fine then, if you don't want to talk. I just wish you'd be more…open to suggestions is all. See if we can make this go anywhere."

"What if I don't want it to?"

"Then it sucks to be me."

.::-::.

I made some breakfast for myself, not bothering to take care of Lily since I felt a bit aggravated with her. She stayed in the bedroom for as long as possible before she ventured out of her safety zone and into the living area where I was sitting on the couch, reading the daily paper. She walked over and sat down next to me, but I, being the hardheaded man who was letting the woman of his dreams get away from him, didn't acknowledge her presence.

We sat there for a moment. I could hear her breathing.

"James."

"Hm," I grunted.

"Look at me."

I turned after a moment and saw her smile, her eyes slightly red. Then she kissed me, and the whole world stopped.

* * *

Hi! I've meeshed you guys. I hope, for all of my devoted readers, that this will be a little something special that you will enjoy. Time for writing has not been as available for me and it makes me sad. But I was going through my computer today and found all of my old Hate to Love Him documents and it made me feel inspired to write a bit more! Thanks to all of you who have remained dedicated to my story, and who have given me the inspiration and somewhat constant reminders to continue writing! I would love some feedback if any of my old readers stop by. Leave a review and let me know what you're up to!

3 Emily B.


	11. Playing With Fire

I remembered my Fanficton account and all of the random ideas I had for The Convention the other day as I was going through old emails. A lot has changed in my life since July of 2010. But I can't let go of this story. Hopefully some of you can't either.

* * *

Chapter 11 – Playing with Fire

.::-::.

Getting ready for my date with Collin that night was frustrating, to say the least. All day, I had been consumed by a variety of emotions. Partly, I was confused by my feelings towards James Potter. But I was also angry that I had allowed myself to be confused in the first place. I had been given the chance to begin a fresh, new relationship with a right proper man – someone I hadn't watched hit puberty or raid through the knickers in my school trunk on the train two years ago. I had too many negative ideas about James in my head. I was trying to convince myself that any man, even if it wasn't Collin, would be healthier for me than Potter.

It isn't easy, however, to pretend not to have feelings towards someone when you clearly do. It made me positively sick to my stomach, but I did realize I cared for James more than I had originally planned. There was a fondness there I couldn't hide from myself, even him. Every time he looked at me that day, I could feel the desperation in his eyes. He just wanted me to try, to give him a chance to prove to me we could make it work. But I couldn't give in. I had a date with Collin, and I was determined to have a good time.

James left me alone to get ready. We hadn't spoken since we left the convention center. The whole walk back had been incredibly quiet and awkward, to the point where I wanted to scream just so I knew I still existed. When we got to our room, he'd slammed the door behind us and flopped down on the couch, taking off his glasses and closing his eyes. I took that as a cue to lock myself in the bedroom and have a nap...or at least _try _to have one. I was too caught up in my thoughts to actually get any sleep. After a few hours of restlessness, I decided to get up and prepare for my date.

He rang the door at five past seven. I wore the best outfit I could find – a fairly short black cocktail dress I had thrown in at the last minute. It hung around my hips almost perfectly and it was one of the only outfits I had ever felt truly sexy in. I wore my hair up, trying to accentuate my neckline and keep my cleavage exposed. I didn't want to whore it up too much, but I needed to look good or else I was afraid he wouldn't ask me for another date. Then I'd have no excuse not to give Potter a chance. I had just finished slipping on my heels when James yelled from the other room, "Lils! He's here…." I quickly patted a bit more powder on my nose and took a deep breath before grabbing my clutch and walking out of the bedroom.

James was standing on the step at the entrance to our room, holding the door open as Collin stepped over the threshold. They both looked at me and for a moment I thought I was going to be sick. Both of them were so incredibly handsome that I second-guessed what I was doing. Did I really want to deny James? Obviously not, but the temptation of a new and exciting relationship budding with Collin currently outweighed everything else.

James had always worn sadness well. He had a worse time of hiding the anger building up in him, however. I scurried over to the door before he could start anything with Collin. He looked ready to pounce.

"When will you be back, Lily?" James peered at me over his glasses, trying to be nonchalant but failing miserably. His fists were clenched.

"I don't know, James. We are just going to—"

"Don't wait up for her," Collin interjected. "If she enjoys dancing as much as I think she does, we will be out for quite a while."

"She doesn't like dancing," James retorted quickly.

"James, stop it," I turned to Collin. "We'd better be going."

"Of course," he said, smiling. He held out his arm and I took it, not bothering to look back at James as we stepped out into the hallway. I heard the heavy click of the lock behind us and felt a tightness in my stomach. I looked up at Collin and faked a smile.

.::-::.

After about five minutes walking with Collin, I had already begun to forget all of my worries regarding James. Collin was very articulate, outgoing, and charismatic. On top of all that, he seemed completely interested in everything I had to say. He asked me questions about my family, school, and the convention. Then he brought up James and I felt my heart drop.

"So what is it with that boy you're staying with?"

"You mean James? He was chosen to attend like I was. I was supposed to have my own room but they got the hotel reservations mixed up; we ended up having to share a suite. Quite tragic, really."

"No, but I mean …well, he fancies you," Collin said, raising his eyebrows at me as we walked side-by-side to our dinner destination, of which I had no idea the location. I felt my face flush.

"Yes, he does. He's fancied me since 3rd year…at least that I know of."

Collin whistled. "Wow that is quite a long time. But you don't have any feelings for him." It wasn't a question. I paused for a moment, a bit taken aback.

"Right. Yes, that's right. I don't," I said nervously, tucking a loose hair behind my ear and hoping he wouldn't pick up on my uncertainty. "Where are we going for dinner? I'm starved."

"Oh, just a little restaurant not too far from here. They have a live band playing tonight and I really wanted to see how you were on the dance floor," he laughed. "Was James right? You don't like to dance?"

"Well, he was sort of right…I'm not a huge fan. But I'm willing to try for you," I said, giving him a half-hearted smile. To be honest, I dreaded the idea. I wasn't exactly graceful.

"Well Miss Evans, I'm sure you're light on your feet. You just need someone to lead you is all."

Then he smirked and gave me this look that made my head cloudy and my stomach flutter. I could tell it was going to be a good night.

.::-::.

As we continued to walk towards the mystery restaurant, things around us started looking more and more familiar. We were practically walking the same route that James and I took to the convention center every morning. It wasn't till we got to the block the restaurant was on that it hit me- Collin was taking me to the same jazz club James and I had visited only the night before. We walked in and were seated only a few tables from where I had sat awkwardly, staring off into the distance as James had conversed with his long-lost friend, Lindsay. I ordered the same thing off the menu and watched as Collin expertly ordered me a pomegranate martini. I didn't tell him that I hated pomegranate. It's the thought that counts, right?

We talked and talked…and talked. All the way through our meal we discussed his new job, books, anything we could think of. I had just finished my third martini when he asked me out onto the dance floor. I should have been apprehensive, but I had three drinks in me and was starting to feel more than a bit tipsy. I was looking at the world through rose-colored glasses as we stood up and walked towards the stage. All eyes in the lounge were on me but I didn't care. Collin's burned more fiercely into me than all of theirs' combined. He casually looked me up and down, smiled, then grabbed me by the waist and pulled my body tightly against his. I'm not sure if the heat in my cheeks was from the alcohol or from my giddy excitement. He was commanding and aggressive – in my current state, it was incredibly arousing. All I wanted was for him to sweep me away and make me forget all about James Potter. We moved across the dance floor slowly as he swayed his hips with mine. Soon, he had his lips resting on my neck and I could feel his warm breath against my skin. He was as intoxicating as the martinis. In my garbled mind, one thought stood out clearly – how close we were to each other. The sexual tension was palpable.

I was so overwhelmed by the intense desire I felt for him that I didn't even notice when he tipped my chin up to kiss me. One second, I was smelling his cologne. The next, I was tasting the amaretto from the cocktail he had earlier. I closed my eyes and drank it all in – the feel of his mouth on mine, the sweet smell of his lips, the way his hand touched my lower back. It was intoxicating. It quickly turned hungry – it was not a kiss I had ever experienced before. It almost frightened me. I had so much sexual frustration pent up from my situation with James and it was trying desperately hard to break free.

This was all so new, so sudden. I was practically begging to be bedded by a perfect stranger. It was the kind of erotic fantasy you only read about in romance novels. But this was real, and it was happening to me. It was all too perfect, Collin was too perfect. My head was spinning, my legs felt like jelly, my face was burning and I was ready – ready to give it all up to Collin.

Then I snapped to and pulled away after I realized my fingers were fumbling with his belt. He looked at me, his eyes dark. He tried to kiss me again but I turned my cheek.

"Wow," I sighed. I suddenly got dizzy.

"Wow?" He chuckled.

"Yeah, you're a great kisser." I blushed.

"Then kiss me again," he whispered, turning my chin and laying another one on me. This time, there was tongue. I felt myself tremble. He stopped and leaned in so his lips were at my ear.

"You are quite possibly the most alluring woman I have ever met, Lily Evans." He nibbled at my ear and then pulled away, tearing us apart from one another. The last song of the night was over. The lounge was closing. I had no idea where the time had gone or how long we had been dancing. "We should probably be going now. James will be waiting to make sure I return you home in one piece," he smirked.

"Oh hush, he's not my father," I slurred, swatting him on the arm playfully.

He grabbed my hand and led me out the front door of the club. We walked a lot closer to each other on our way back to my hotel room. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into him. Part of me wanted to ask him if we could go back to his place but I thought better of it. As much as I wanted to be spontaneous, it would probably be moving too fast.

The rest of it was a haze. As we took the elevator to the third floor, he kissed my neck and slid his hand up my dress. I felt his fingers playing with the edge of my knickers but as quickly as he started, it was over and we were startled by the ringing of the bell, telling us we'd reached my floor. He grabbed me by the waist and led me to room 317. I remember him pushing me against my door, kissing me deeply, and then whispering goodbye…

I don't remember unlocking the door but I do remember falling down onto my bed, not bothering to take off my dress or heels. I remember feeling the covers being pulled over me and a kiss on my cheek. I slept great that night. The next morning was a whole other story.

* * *

I can't make any promises when another chapter will be up, but I WILL finish this story.

-Emily B.


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